June Soap Notes & GIVE-AWAY!!!

I can hardly believe that summer is upon us. As I age, I can feel the dramatic passing
of time in an almost palpable way. It seems that almost as soon as I say that
we should do {insert any idea here} this summer, it’s all over and time for
school and schedules to begin again. Since I have yet to find a way to slow the
passage of time, I’m taking extra measures to mindfully enter summer and
therefore not let it pass before my eyes.

I believe in the immeasurable power of setting intentions: stating purposes, plans, and hopes in an effort to drive actions towards goals. For instance, if I wake and blindly enter my day as just one like the rest, it most likely will be just like the ones that have come before. But if I wake and
take a few moments to assess what my hopes and visions for that day are, my actions and efforts will be geared towards those specific wishes and therefore I’ll have a better chance at a fulfilling day. I propose that we set those same kinds of intentions for our summer so that we have the best chance of living it fully. {If it’s not summer where you live, these same principles can be applied to any given season or span of time}

I would like to clarify here that by ~intentions~ I do not mean ~expectations~. Due to the unpredictable nature of life, expecting anything often leads to disappointment, then to judgment. These intentions need to be semi-general in nature, flexible in delivery, and more about ethereal outcomes. For example, stating that you’d like to have beautiful landscaping by the end of the summer is an expectation that you’ll have lots of time and resources to devote to working
outside. Then, if after all your hard work, your landscaping doesn’t live up to your visions, you may feel disappointed and unhappy with yourself. However, if your intentions were to spend enjoyable time working in your garden and to plant some things that you’ll be able to take
pleasure in for years to come, most likely you’ll make gardening a priority in your life and you’ll enjoy the relaxed state in which you can work because there’s no added expectation of perfection or completion in the end. Since the true goal of your intention was doing something that brings you joy, you’ll have achieved your goals and you’ll feel good about your efforts.

Do I have you deep in thought over your hearts true and pure desires for summer? Good! Here are my personal intentions:

To enjoy the freshness and vitality of
the season

To encourage my children to cherish
the simple treasures all around us

To fill my body and our house with goodness
and wholesomeness

To fully utilize the freedom of the
season

To teach my children as much as I can

So there they are; pretty general and non-specific yet meaningful enough to guide my actions. I have ideas and wishes for how I’d like to accomplish these goals but they might change and they are not as important as my reasons for doing them. Now it’s your turn: Get ready, set your intentions, and go forth!

All righty; as you’ve come to expect, it’s GIVE-AWAY TIME!!!! Up for grabs this month are some handmade goodies to help you savor the season: a bar of our new Apricot Pear Soap, a set of four Summer Harvest Postcards, & the handmade bookmark featured at the top of this page. All you have to do to enter is comment on this post {or email me} and tell me one of your intentions for summer. I will announce the winner on June 30^th.