I jump into summer like most people, happily shedding routines that, by that time of year, feel more confining than helpful.  The carefree days of summer are a welcome relief from the doldrums of routine that I’ve been following through fall and winter. I approach summer as a time to unwind, relax, reconnect with family and friends through leisurely activities; a breath of fresh air!

At some point though, I find myself lost in a jungle, having a hard time finding my way through the long grasses and trees.  I’ve taken a wrong turn and need to get back to the well-worn path I was on…

Too often, as was the case this summer, I unintentionally released some great habits that had served me well.  I need to reconnect with them if I’m to regain my equilibrium and find my way back to “center.”  So I’m reestablishing quiet time as my precious, top priority.  It’s a Homecoming of sorts… cutting through all the noise of a busy, active life. It’s settling back into the stillness long enough to hear that barely perceptible voice of authenticity.  It is so refreshing!

With fall here, I find myself actually welcoming routine. It seems to be a relief from the helter-skelter pace of summer busyness; a time to reassess where I’m going and what I want to accomplish this coming year.  Why wait till January 1^st…when I’m usually exhausted and frazzled?  The peacefulness of fall is the perfect time for me to stop, think, and establish productive, effective routines before jumping into the holiday season.

In my youth, I resisted routine.  It felt like shackles, restricting my spontaneous nature. Now, I see them as an aid that allows me to be more whole-heartedly spontaneous.  How so, you might ask?  Without routines, my spontaneous brain was always “on” like a radar scanner, to see what might be falling through the cracks. Inevitably, something always did, which would then propel me into panic mode.  The fear of this happening again was like a slow leak in a balloon that seeped a bit of joy from each activity.

Now I realize that with a framework involving planning and routine, everything will be covered, even if I have to move things around.  Rather than being constricting, routine allows me to be fully present in my spontaneity without the accompanying fear.  So after years of a struggling relationship, routine and I have become friends at long last.

~Zanne

InSearchOfAuthenticity.com

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