The end of summer is coming fast. Oh, not the heat and storms and the summer season, just summer vacation. In other words, school is about to start.
So what do you want this school year to be? Is this the year you as a parent are super-organized and really take care of business, never misplacing a permission slip and always keeping up with your student’s online lunch account and checking his/her grades well before the teacher conference?
Good on you. By staying on top of the day-today you can guide without smothering and your student knows you are in charge, even as you let go. It’s a tough balancing act.
Is this the year as a student you really take hold of your class work, give it your all, show what you really can do? Get after it. The only thing holding you back is effort. All the resources you need are there. You just have to exercise them.
Maybe, whether you’re a parent or student, this is when you are finally going to start an exercise program. Yes, it’s hotter than Hades out there. But you could still do it by exercising inside, taking a class or walking in the cooler times of the day.
Is this finally when you are going to get the house organized, clean out all the closets, get rid of the excess? There are a lot of good causes that can use your gently loved items to fill the needs of others who are less fortunate. Or you could hold a yard sale, pump up your own budget or donate the money instead.
Is this the first year of school for your child? Or the first year of college? What will you do with the extra time? If you don’t already work full time away from home, will you explore a new career? Maybe you’ll start your own small business. Again, all the resources in the world are open to you. There are classes that teach you how to write a business plan, how to define your market, how to find financing to start that business. A lot of that financing is in the form of grants that never have to be repaid.
Perhaps you will undertake a volunteer position or start something bigger than yourself. For example, you could visit a retirement home. You could do outreach for any cause you believe in. Volunteer for a political campaign.
You could answer the question ‘Why don’t we have a …’ by starting whatever it is.
The point is this is another season of renewal just as much as spring is. The heat will fade and our energy will improve with the cooler temperatures. The footwork and planning you do now will pay dividends down the road. Being part of something larger than today, larger than yourself, is always worth the trouble and done properly, it will live on after you.