Summer Recap

I´d like to share a little inspiration that I got over the summer. To do this I feel that I need to recap my summer. Just a brief recap of some of the influences that have me loaded with motivation and ideas ready for a new start. I´m not going to bore you with any of the summer lovin´details of walking on the beach, drinking margaritas on my deck, watching sunsets, eating delicious food and just relaxing. These are the reasons why I always love summer, every summer.  There were a few other things worth noting. They were the things that gave me that extra kick of inspiration.

#1. Detox. I did a cleanse this summer which I always like doing at least once a year. This gets your stomach and eating on the right track which is the base of getting everything else on the right track, according to me. Feeling a little off want to get back on track? Start with a cleanse. It cleanses your body and mind. 

#2. Finding a new love....and no I don´t mean leaving your spouse for someone new. I mean doing or learning something new. In my case, it was swimming. I already knew how to swim so I didn´t learn anything new but I started swimming laps in the lake for exercise and fell in love. Never before have I liked swimming laps. If you´re not running and sweating then it´s not exercise. Not true, swimming is total body workout (that sounded like a commercial gimmick) but it´s true. So this summer I discovered a new form of exercise and let my knees have a vacation too. Which has now given me more energy and love for my old sport...running.

#3. I read "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway" by Susan Jeffers again. Read it once and loved it but it´s a fact we forget and remember very little of what we´ve heard or read. We need to be reminded, so reminded myself is just what I did. You have to do things to make them happen, they are not going to come knocking on your door so don´t sit and wait for them. Get up and do what it is you want to be doing! If you need a little push or help, start by reading this book. Is it easy? No! That´s why we need to remind ourselves and repeat what we already know. Nothing worth the fight is ever easy but it makes the victory that much sweeter. 

#4. Write a list of you passions, ...what is it that makes you happy and fills you with energy. Then do it. Two of mine are painting and playing tennis. I painted 1 kitchen chair, 1 big frame, and 2 walls during the summer and I played tennis almost everyday. :)

#5. Often for those of us with children, we live vicariously through them. Their accomplishments become our accomplishments and so on. So with that said I have to mention some of their highlights from the summer. My oldest kid got his "Kandidat" in swimming. After searching, I still can´t find the English translation but it is a pin he got after doing a butt load of difficult swimming endeavors like swimming 1000 m, lifesaving, diving from the high dive, and a bunch of other stuff too. I´m very proud especially since I can´t imagine doing it myself. My youngest son got his "simborgmärke" which is a pin for swimming 200 m. He was only swimming 50 m at the beginning of the summer. Also proud. Maybe this is what sparked my new love for swimming. My kids are always inspiring me. They also met Henrik Lundqvist which was awesome and my oldest got goalie training tips from him. I was close to pushing a bunch of kids out of my way so I could get a little closer to Henrik. My motto is always "Go for it" and the Nike slogan "Just do it" but sometimes you have to know when to hold back and this was one of those times. Finally there´s nothing quite like happy children running around playing, swimming, laughing, and getting dirty. Happy kids equals one happy mama.....

That´s it....only 5. They don´t have to be ground breaking or outstanding in a revolutionary way. Just as long as they are outstanding for you. You don´t have to get a gold medal or compare yours with the neighbors. Just simple things that inspire and give you a sense of renewed energy so you feel you can take on the world!