Happy Summer Everyone!
I hope you are all well and enjoying the beginning of your summer. It was quite the busy last two months, so it has been a bit since I last wrote in April. I spent the first few weeks of May traveling to Sestri Levante (The Italian Riviera) and Vietri sul Mare (The Amalfi Coast). In Sestri, I co-hosted a retreat with the fabulous Carrie Morgan and then I headed to Vietri to host another retreat. It was a great few weeks sharing two places I love, traveling with amazing people, eating delicious food, drinking lots of wine and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Oh and yes, there was yoga too;)
From there, Zeek and I met up with Josh to go to our house in Calabria. We spent two weeks putzing around the house and exploring the area. Then, sadly, Josh returned to the US while Zeek and I stayed for a bit more. Oh and then, there was a wedding back in Vietri sul Mare. Ok, yes, it has been lots of planes, trains, taxis, car rentals and more, but it has been a great way to spend the beginning of Summer. It is not easy leaving the land of sea views, fabulous food and wine and lots of sunshine. But, somehow Josh convinced me to come back, haha.
While in Calabria, during a morning run, a quote from Seneca, a Roman philosopher, was referenced in a book that I was listening to. “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.” I heard this and I kept replaying it in my head. I do believe that I have lived, and continue to live, a very fulfilling life and that I have accomplished a lot, but I know that there is definitely time wasted each day.
We all know how much time social media alone takes away from our day. I am a firm believer of following your dreams sooner than later. I do not subscribe to waiting for that trip, waiting to live and enjoy life until after you retire, waiting to be happy, endlessly waiting…. I am really good at not putting off the big things, but this quote reminded me to reflect on the little things that I waste time on each day. How can we make those extra minutes about adding to our life, rather than taking away?
I tried very hard to put this in action while solo at our house in Italy. I put my phone down (when I was not taking pictures or videos, of course 😂) when the sun was setting and while I ate. I either sat and just took in the moments or I read my book. Just because I was there alone did not mean I should waste those minutes scrolling. The inconsistent internet connection definitely encourages this behavior too, haha. Maybe, it is the Universe reinforcing that I should put the phone down. 😉
Besides the endless scrolling, I am sure there are other patterns that we can change in our lives that will give to it, more than take away from it. So, rather than have a mantra this month, let’s keep our eyes peeled and minds open to how we can make small changes that add positive energy, calmness and insight.
I hope that this helps guide you through a fulfilling summer and beyond. As always, you can simply hit reply to this email to send a note, give feedback or simply say hi. I would also love to see you in person! See below for my summer events!
Sending love and positive energy today and always!
Laurel