A Summer Worth Noticing!

Less thinking and more observing to get the most out of your summer.

By Guy Camilleri

Summer 2018 is in full swing! Are you savoring the longer days, basking in the light and water? Will you use the added evening light, the warmth and the extra hours to take it all in and maybe even create a work of art?

Streets are busy with bikes, skateboards, pedestrians, cars and this summer there are flocks of Bird and Lime scooters everywhere. Locals and tourists alike are zipping along on the roads and sometimes even on the sidewalks (not cool). If you look around you might spot an occasional Bird hanging in a tree, over a fence or maybe even in a dumpster. You gotta love the beach, right?

What will make this summer stand out from past summers?

Photo: Sam Catanzaro.
Try taking a step back to observe all the chaos of the beach to get the most out of your summer.

One thing that will heighten your summer is to “notice more and think less.” This is where conversations start, ideas are formed and new relationships can spark. A day filled with more noticing and less meaning (a mind is a meaning-making machine) allows for a more profound sense of belonging to the world.

Keep in mind that even though noticing is free the mind will still insist on making some meaning out of the experience. This chatter may cost you something if it breaks up the intimacy of the moment. However, the more present you are, the easier it is to decipher what is chatter and what is not.

What’s informing you this summer?

At my acting studio, I will pose this question to the actors, writers and directors from time to time. One reason I ask this question is that I literally want to hear what informs them (art, music, theater, sport, cooking, painting, writing, etc.). The other reason is to confirm that we are on the right path to meet their creative needs and wants. Once you start tracking what informs you, a heightened sense of awareness will stimulate your mind, engage your curiosity and increase the joy factor in your life.

To keep it light this summer, here are three things you can always notice to ground you in the moment and open the channels to what informs you. This is especially helpful when you aren’t sure whether to react or respond to the moment you are in.