Summer afternoon – Summer afternoon…
the two most beautiful words in the English language. –Henry James

We’ve come to the end of another summer. It’s time to pack up the seersucker and open-toed shoes. School has started, Congress is on its way in from recess, and Starbucks has brought out the pumpkin spice latte.

While I enjoy a crisp fall day and the sight of leaves changing to bright red and orange, I’m sad to see summer pass so quickly. Summer carries with it a feeling of optimism, opportunity, and care-free relaxation. I love that Congress calls its summer break “recess”; that captures the freedom and excitement that summer brings, just like bursting through the doors to play outside during grade school. The endless sunshine (and yes even the hot, steamy, humid air) encourages you to grab your friends and explore the city, take a day trip to the country, or just pack a picnic to enjoy while listening to jazz in the sculpture garden. Summer seems to refocus your attention on what’s important in life–spending time with family and friends and finding enjoyment in everything you do.

What will you miss most about summer?

A few of the things I’ll miss most:
- Seersucker and sundresses
- Jazz in the garden with good friends
- fresh peaches and watermelon
- Flip-flops and open-toed shoes
- loosing myself in a chicklit beach read and feeling no guilt about it (that’s what summer reading is all about anyway, right?)
- sunset runs after work (I love when it stays light well past 8pm. I can get so much more accomplished.)

I hope everyone fully enjoys this last weekend of summer. Grab some friends and plan one last adventure before we have to break out the sweaters and snow boots.

The Artist

By William Faulkner

A dream and a fire which I cannot control, driving me without those comfortable smooth paths of solidity and sleep which nature has decreed for man. A fire which I inherited willy-nilly, and which I must needs feed with talk and youth and the very vessel which bears the fire: the serpent which consumes its own kind, knowing that I can never give to the world that which is crying in me to be freed.

For where is that flesh, what hand holds that blood to shape this dream within me in marble or sound, on canvas or paper, and live? I, too, am but a shapeless lump of moist earth risen from pain, to laugh and strive and weep, knowing no peace until the moisture has gone out of it, and it is once more of the original and eternal dust.

But to create! Which among ye who have not this fire, can know this joy, let it be ever so fleet?

*NOTE: In early 1925, William Faulkner began his professional writing career in earnest while living in New Orleans. The series New Orleans Sketches includes reflections on the city written in the voices of the different people Faulkner observed during his time in the French Quarter.

I noticed you didn’t go running today.  Why is that?  You tweeted how many cups of coffee you had this morning, updated your facebook status to let everyone know you were having lunch with friends, and then, blogged about the new movie you saw after dinner.  But, nothing about running.  I thought you were in training.

Believe me, I know this works in reverse, too.  You know exactly what I have and have not been doing, and several of you have called me out when I’m not living up to my goals or ideals.  I appreciate it, really.  Growing up, I knew I had my close friends, neighbors, and church community to keep me on track.  Now, in addition to those, I’ve got friends around the world and people I’ve never met who know all my actions.

Social media and our online communities have become the ultimate in accountability partners.  The knowledge that others are following my every move helps keep me honest with myself.  I take extra note of my behavior and endeavor to be a better person.  I want my friends and my community to be proud of me.  We provide daily support and motivation to each other in countless ways, and if we continue watching out for each other and striving to be our best, our communities and our relationships will grow stronger.

So, keep tweeting, updating your facebook status, and blogging about your latest activity.  I’ll be watching, and I hope you’ll be watching me in return.

In the in-between time, I’d love to hear your stories of how your social network has kept you accountable and provided motivation to keep you on the road to your goals.

Two weeks ago, My Boys on TBS (episode 33) talked about powering down—taking time each day to do nothing.  The idea was that we spend so much of our time trying to achieve that we forget the benefits of powering down.  If, for example, you would spend a day on the couch in your pajamas watching old movies or reading a good book, you could feel more relaxed and gain a sense of balance and perspective in your life.

For more than three months now, I have perfected the art of powering down.  I’ve slept late, read the entire Twilight series in little more than a week, caught up on all my TV shows and Netflix movies, and managed to keep up to date on nearly all my RSS feeds (this is still reading for enjoyment for me, not news or work).  I even managed to power down while studying abroad in London, spending most of the time wandering different parks and neighborhoods, looking at houses and watching the people, with absolutely no agenda.

This time has been wonderful—a time for reflection and rejuvenation—and it has helped to bring me back down from the chaotic and fast-paced D.C. lifestyle.  However, now that I am officially finished with my MBA and still haven’t found that perfect job, I have nothing to do but relax.  I’m probably one of the few out there who is searching for something to do—something to focus on, something to achieve—in order to properly balance my powered-down life.

How is your balance?

She went a little nuts with the post-it flags today, but I think
she'll survive.