Today is the first official day of summer. It’s the Summer Solstice here in the Northern hemisphere and the longest day of the year. In my town the sun rose at 5:48 am and will set at 8:33 pm. That means I’ll have 14 hours and 45 minutes of daylight to enjoy. I’m going to make the most of this longest day by practicing mindfulness and focusing on just one thing at a time.
Instead of multi-tasking, I’m going to uni-task! And to remind myself to pay attention to these two intentions, I’m wearing my green Donate Life bracelet. I got off to a good start this morning when I awoke at 4:30 am. Instead of thinking about all the things I needed to do today, I just lay there noticing my breathing—in and out, in and out. And amazingly, I fell back to sleep!
When I prepared my orange at breakfast, I noticed its beautiful color and fragrance. And when I sat down to eat it, I put aside today’s paper and simply savored each bite, enjoying the sweet, tart flavor of the juice as it slid down my throat.
As I go about my day, I will fully engage with each person I encounter. I’ll look them in the eye and listen to what they’re saying without thinking about what to say next. I’ll use all of my senses to appreciate this beautiful first day of summer and acknowledge my gratitude for the many gifts in my life.
When I get “lost in thought,” I will catch myself and come back to the present and remind myself of this opportunity—14 hours and 45 minutes of beautiful light to practice being present.
How are you spending the longest day of the year?
I loved your idea of mindfulness and it is a reminder we should all have present moments, Summer or otherwise.