When summer takes you by surprise…

And just like that, summer is here.

Am I the only one wondering how the heck that happened?

It literally feels like two days ago that I was trekking around in a hat and puffer coat, trying to keep warm in our brutal 50 degree Florida winter (don’t judge me), and all of the sudden it’s 90 degrees by 9am with 70% humidity and you literally feel like you’re melting the minute you step outside.

Have I been in a coma that no one told me about?

Suffice to say, life has been a little crazy lately, and somehow the fact that summer is now here has caught me completely by surprise and totally off guard.

(And yes, I know technically summer doesn’t begin until June 20th, but you get my drift.)

I feel woefully unprepared.

Last year at this time, I already had my whole family—dogs and all—piled into an RV for a cross-country road trip.

But this year, we’ve got no big plans. No real vacation scheduled. No epic adventures in the works. Not even a summer bucket list to make me feel like I’m at least making an effort.

Is it just me?

The truth is that just the thought of trying to make a plan for some sort of epic summer adventure right now exhausts me.

In fact, if I were to come up with a bucket list for my Ultimate Dream Summer, it would look like this:

1. Take one whole week of vacation to literally do NOTHING except sleep for 12 hours a night, then spend my days lounging in the pool reading a selection of fluffy British “chick lit” novels, while someone else cleans my house, organizes my kitchen and closet, cooks me amazing food, and keeps my champagne glass full. I wouldn’t talk to a single person or check the Internet one time. I’d just bask in a bubble of introverted self-indulgence.

2. Repeat #1 for another week because I don’t think one week is quite long enough.

3. Hire someone to install a running path around the perimeter of our property so that come fall, when the weather cools off a bit, I could start running again. While I enjoy my leisurely strolls around the farm, I do miss running.

4. Get some chickens and a couple of cows so that our pretend farm can be a real farm.

5. Go visit my mama in Washington State, which ideally would happen by finding a way to magically teleport myself there in order to avoid flying 3,000 miles across the country. I suppose I would also settle for a private jet. (Hey, we’re dreaming here, right?)

Honestly, I think that’s all I’ve got right now.

I actually love to travel, and to entertain, and even the work that I do, but right now, after such a long, intense, and busy season, the only real thing I crave right now is rest.

Lara Casey wrote “the seasons teach us how to do life well, revealing a life-giving rhythm: we flourish through intentional periods of stillness, growth, hard work, and rest.” Along those lines, John Lebbock noted that “rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

In other words? It’s okay to take a break sometimes.

Because taking a rest is not the same as giving up, or quitting. There is something essential about giving yourself the space to recover, especially after a season of intense effort.

And so, my challenge for you this week, as we slip into a new season of the year, is to think about what you need for yourself this summer. Are you, too, eager for a season of rest? Or are you done with rest for a while, and now ready to step it up and do something new? What does your Ultimate Summer Bucket List look like?

I’d love to see it—if you’d care to share, just hit reply to this email and let me know!

Live with purpose, friend, and have a wonderful week!

xoxo, Ruth

P.S. Looking for something to inspire you? My friend Jennifer Roskamp over at the Intentional Mom is hosting a FREE event called the Simplify Your Summer Online Summit, and I’m excited to be one of the 30 speakers who will be sharing tips and resources to help to make this summer one you’ll feel good about. It kicked off TODAY, and again, it’s free, but you do have to register, which you can do HERE. It isn’t too late to participate in this incredible event!

This week’s podcast episode…

What’s cooking in my kitchen…

Here’s the recipe I shared this past week:

The latest from my Instagram…

Instagram is my jam! If you’re there too, I’d love to connect with you—find me at @RuthSoukup or @ruthsoukupbiz for online business tips!

What’s Happening Around RSO…