Finding Your Gold and Keeping It Shiny This Summer

We have all heard the saying Go for the Gold.  I would like to propose that this summer you find or rediscover your Gold.  What I am talking about is the time, the place or the activity you have that inspires and re-charges you.  It is the one must-have that feeds you and you cherish.  I purposely am playing off the word Gold as it is something that has been known and highly sought after for centuries.  It also has undisputed value and symbolizes achievement and high standards.  

As busy people, we often forget or negate the value of ourselves and our time in the hustle and bustle of everyday life - as we have meetings to attend, projects to finish and sporting events to catch.

We all need a ritual, a habit or practice that we crave and that feeds our soul.   When we are doing or involved in this Golden activity we feel great, at peace and the noise and clutter fade away.  For each of us, it is different perhaps it is yoga, a hike, spiritual reflection or a trip.   It can be something that you do every day, once a week or once a year.  The key is that it happens and is acknowledged by you when it does.  This helps us to feel in control by knowing we value the time we make for ourselves.  This connection to our inner self strengthens our own fulfillment.

 I was reminded about my own Gold recently when I took my annual trip with college friends.  It is one of the few things I enter into Outlook months in advance, mention in Facebook and put on the family calendar in pen.  I must admit I am a bit inflexible about missing it.  I love this trip!  It is worth all the juggling and taking the vacation day to make it happen.   I come back re-charged, alive and inspired and thankful for both my family and my friends. 

I also have some Golden Nuggets throughout each week.  I make time for myself when I am walking my dog.  I do not view it as a chore but as a chance to be outdoors and enjoy the company of friends.  Like many of you who are busy we Do and we need to Be. 

Here are some steps to help you find your Gold or create awareness around your Golden Nuggets.  They will help you boldly claim and identify them.

1.     Reflect.  Spend a few minutes reflecting on the things you really enjoy doing for you!  Jot them down.

2.     Identify.  Next to each activity write down what value of yours it reinforces.  This helps you identify its worth.

3.     Make it a habit.  Write down how often you participate in this activity and how you feel when you are doing it or how you feel after? 

4.     Roadblocks.  If you aren't doing what you want, what is getting in your way?  Do these barriers really need to be there?  How can you make what you want happen?

5.     Take Action.  Write on the calendar or put into Outlook at least 2 to 4 dates.  You can jump ahead to 2010 if your Gold is a semiannual or annual event.

6.     Tell a friend.  Sharing your goals and Gold with others helps makes things happen.

Taking the time to recognize the things that we value and are worth seeking out remind us we are in control and not always reacting to things.  Taking time for ourselves keeps us whole, connected and inspired.   Summer is a great time to dust off or rediscover your Gold. 

 Here's to a Shiny Summer.