1. Choose the spunky sunglasses. My bright coral sunglasses have brought me so much life. I’m not going back to boring colors again.
2. It’s really easy to stay too busy with biggish little kids in the summer. So many fun opportunities, but now I’m tired. Haha. :) Time for some introverted recovery. I feel like I’m in recovery and I now need to create a stay-at-home season. I’m not really a homebody, but staying home does rejuvenate sometimes.
3. Write first, second-guess later. Basically my new mantra.
4. Sometimes switching back to a bullet journal is just the right thing to do. I’m loving the room to reflect and not feeling pressured to use dated pages. I am also enjoying having dots instead of lines to guide. I got this one, in orange of course.
5. Per the book The Brave Learner, I am keeping a list of all the activities and random moments of learning the kids happen upon in daily life. It is so encouraging to see their knowledge and skills growing naturally. It frees me up to worry less and be more creative with learning opportunities
6. Wireless headphones are the bomb. One side of my old headphones quit and I just got this $20 pair on amazon and they work just fine. I can leave my phone at my desk and walk nearly all over my house to do chores while still listening to podcasts or videos. No more wires to get tangled up in means I am much more motivated to do the dishes, and catch up on laundry.
7. Sometimes I know exactly what I need and I need to trust that knowing. Whether an electric kettle to fuel our french press coffee and make easy oatmeal, wireless headphones for chores, or a 20 minute nap, listening to my intuition gives me more time and energy for other things. Sometimes I wait a year (electric kettle), two (headphones), or too long (naps), but it is always useful to hone that skill.
8. I am really introvert-y right now. Such exhaust. I can’t decided if the right thing to do is keep doing what I expect myself to, or just opt out of everything until I am less people-tired (my instinct is to just hole up and be alone for three weeks, but that’s not exactly possible).
9. Staying vulnerable to love and life is kind of the point. Also this book is really good. “This, then, seems to be the work of the Spirit: to keep you growing is to keep you vulnerable to life and love itself.” Richard Rohr, The Divine Dance, page 58
10. Kids’ smiles make splurges worth it. I wasn’t going to spring for rides at the fair this year, but I paid for just one and the kids’ smiles were magnificent. Looking at the pictures afterward brought me just as much joy as riding the ride brought them. Nine dollars well-spent.
11. The power of ‘yet’ is not just for kids. Having a growth mindset is also good for those not growing.
12. I’m learning to call my Hope*Writer membership an apprenticeship instead of anything else. I was getting frustrated by my lack of progress/intention/clarity because I was thinking I needed to justify or recoup the cost by now. But then I decided to view it as a chance to learn alongside and among. It’s a chance to be in the workshop, use all the tools, ask all the questions, eavesdrop on other people’s questions, and make friends who are on the same path. A sort of community tutelage where I sometimes choose my own lesson and sometimes I get to look over someone else’s shoulder at their journey, but I don’t expect to master or incorporate everything right away. Reframing an experience can make all the difference.

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What have you learned this summer? I’d love to hear! I’m linking up with others and Emily P Freeman to reflect on what we learned this summer. Join us here.

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Also be sure to check out the Paperback Deals today! There are some awesome books on sale by Emily P. Freeman, Alia Joy, Barbara Brown Taylor and Cynthia Orange (on living with someone else’s PTSD). All right here!