You know the quote, right? "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" It's from a poem by Mary Oliver called "The Summer Day". And it's everywhere, including a version in the name of this blog. Here's what's interesting:this line, taken out of context, sounds like a prompt to get rolling. Get going. Do something for goodness sake! Be more productive! Be more! Do more! Succeed! Achieve! Go places! You only have one life after all! YOLO and all that!
However, the poem has a very different tone. The question comes at the end of the poem after Mary explains that she's been sitting watching a grasshopper and strolling through the grass all day, "idle and blessed". The poem seems to challenge the reader to tell her what would have been a better use of her time. Take a moment to read the poem here. Or listen to Mary herself read it here.
Do you feel too busy? Do you feel like your whole calendar is mapped out, weeks or months in advance? As the warm weather of summer arrives, do you wish for time to savor it?
You have a choice. You have a choice to stop to notice the clouds or splash in a puddle, watch a lizard or greet the songbirds. You have a choice to go walking in fields or woods or suburban streets. You have so much more time than you think you have.
So with that in mind and summer at your doorstep, do you have a different answer to Mary's question? What do you want to savor during this wild and precious summer? Email me or share in the comments!
Need some help savoring? Check out Pie in the Sky, my quick and fantastic summer class that will teach you how to savor summer and get some stuff done, too! It's all recorded and ready to go for you, with lots of goodies! Spend just one hour and gain tons of savoring ideas. Details here.
