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Taking a seat in a comfortable, cool corner, or turning on soothing music to calm the day or maybe it's sitting outside surrounded by Mother Nature, whatever we can do consciously that will calm down our nervous system when we are stressed, anxious or exhausted and need to recharge is priceless wisdom when put into practice that will serve us well.

Nelle models wisely how to seek out shade while we waited in line. Instinctively, she takes care of herself. Do each of us do that? Or do we push through, 'soldier on' as it often applauded? We aren't doing ourselves favors by ignoring what either our mind or body or both need. Because what instinctively we are needing is what will ensure we can keep going, eventually, once we have cared well for ourselves in the interim. 

This is hard to do if we have been applauded for plowing forward without recuperating, or if when we do rest or slow down, it is perceived as a weakness. But in your heart, you know the truth. You know whether you have been putting in tremendous effort and time, even if nobody has witnessed it. And if you have, and your being is trying to get your attention to catch your breath, the courageous and best investment is to honor your needs. 

Sometimes the nudge to rest comes in the form of repeated hiccups, small or large, one after another. Upon reflection, we may realize these hiccups could have been prevented had we been rested, had a clear mind and had awoken from a good night's rest, but we didn't have that, and we unintentionally got in our own way. This is all the more reason to rest so that such hiccups or gaffs or big stumbles that cost more time and money don't continue to happen. 

Even though summer is often the time during the calendar year when we have more time to rest, to play or to change up our regular rigorous schedule, it can sometimes become harder to slow down and do what our body and mind might need. Whether for physical or financial reasons, slowing down lets us catch our breath and gain clarity. This brief resting period helps us to feel at peace with the decisions we make moving forward knowing that with more calm and less rush we will choose more wisely. 

I share this all because July has kept me at home, but it has been a busy month at home with the filming of the cooking class. I have done my best to rest well in the evenings and not include many other events or have-tos for work because I know, even if I wanted to, it would be hard to bring my best self. Now that the month has concluded and so too has the filming, upon reflection, I'd give myself a "B" for honoring my needs and not getting in my own way. I will take that over a C most definitely, and now will do my best to learn from what I discovered caused any unnecessary stress (note to self, tend to a chip in the windshield immediately, but first remember to look closely at the black frame of the windshield after you have heard a rock hit it, because they can be hard to see in poor garage lighting - argh!). 

None of us will be able to predict the stressors that will come our way in life that are completely out of our control, but making sure to not create stressors that could have been avoided is the intention. We do the latter by taking knowledge made available to us either via personal experience or listening to those wiser or with different life experiences and applying it rather than ignoring it. We don't apply what we've been told blindly - absolutely not. What we do is make sure to pair the advice we've received with critical thinking questions before doing so. The objective again is to avoid what can be avoided that will hinder our quality of life in the myriad of ways possible. 

Perhaps it is a shift in perspective we need, because if we put ourself on the defensive constantly, we will get exhausted easily and be unable to be fully present in the moment. So instead, trust yourself to ask the necessary questions, respond rather than rush, and sometimes come to realize not responding at all is the most beneficial thing to do especially if it doesn't directly affect or involve us. Only we can know what is best in each situation, but taking the time to consider the options puts the odds in our favor that we will choose wisely. 

Now, I don't know about you, but July gave me a workout, but I am grateful for the knowledge gained and opportunities it provided through the challenges presented. Hopefully for you, July offered gems to savor - whether that be in the form of vacation memories that will be long cherished, time to just be or time to self-explore and realize dreams and new or adjusted directions you want to explore as the calendar year continues on. Whichever scenario best fits you, let's savor this month for one last day, and then step into August ready to celebrate all things French, the launching of the cooking show and the last hurrah of summer. 

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Bonne journée,

—Shannon