Nothing blooms all year round.

Mid-August and my garden is probably at it’s fullest. With many of the flowers in full bloom it feels fit to burst. A walk around, especially first thing in the morning or late in the evening, is a glorious treat for the senses. Scented jasmine and honeysuckle. Pretty pink, white and purple flowers dancing gently on the warm summer breeze.

But if you take a moment to look a little deeper, you might notice that amongst those still thriving, some plants are struggling after the period of hot, dry weather. Some are looking decidedly neglected as my watering and feeding schedule went a bit off track. Others are just coming to the end of their natural life span.

There’s also the slightest hint of autumn in the air. Still very subtle, but these last few days there’s been a distinct chill first thing in the morning and I notice myself closing the curtains a little earlier in the evenings.

These little observations have left me feeling reflective. Nothing blooms all year round. Nothing is in a continuous state of growth. We shouldn’t expect ourselves to be either.

In the online business space there’s always a lot of talk of growth mindsets, personal development, scaling and all manner of other things that essentially require us to push ourselves. I’ve nothing against that stuff per se, but I do think it’s worth noticing these little cues from nature and using them as reminders to be patient and kind to ourselves when things feel overwhelming or our energy levels feel low. It’s impossible to feel motivated and inspired all the time. It’s impossible to work at full capacity without periods of rest and recovery. Trying to do so is what leads to burnout. It’s just not sustainable or healthy for anyone and personally, no matter how much I love my business, my health must always come first.

My own energy is probably better than I’d expect at this time of year. I’m feeling creative and focused. These slow, summer mornings allowing for extra time time spent journaling where an abundance of ideas seem to be flowing onto the pages. I know this energy high can’t last forever though and luckily I have a few days off planned in the last week of August. I intend to spend as much time as possible in nature, my very favourite way to to slow down and disconnect. I might even do a total digital detox for a few days. It will be lovely to have some time to recalibrate before September swoops in with it’s shiny new energy and fresh back to school vibes.

I wonder how your energy levels feel right now. Are you blooming, full of life and motivation? Are you in a period of slowing down and choosing rest? Or are you somewhere in between?

If you’re in a season of low energy I invite you to ask your body what it needs in order to feel rested, then sit quietly and listen for the answer.

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Moments that Matter

Each week I like to share with you selection of moments from my week that have felt magical, joyful or just made it all feel worthwhile.

Ice cream on hot sunny days.

Yesterday we treated ourselves to proper ice creams. Two scoops of decadent flavoured deliciousness, in a sugar cone and topped with flake. We ate them sitting on the grass in the warm sunshine and it was just blissful.

Reading.

With Instagram being all about reels, people dancing, pointing and lip-syncing I’m really enjoying the calm of simply reading articles here on Substack. No algorithms to contend with, no suggested posts or adverts. My brain prefers to read. No matter how many special effects they use, or how wonderful the acting I’ll always say the book was better than the film.

On the subject of reading, I picked up a couple of books by the author Emily Henry the last time I was at the library. “You and Me on Vacation” and “Book Lovers.” They’re easy to escape into and I recommend them to anyone looking for a light-hearted summery read. I’d love to know if there are any others your recommend?

11:11

If you like to explore things that are a little bit woo then you’ll no doubt know the significance of these numbers. A sign of alignment, synchronicity and an all round lucky charm I’ve seen this a few times this week. Once at the exact moment I sent a really important email.

I’d love you to jump into the comments and say hello, tell me about yourself, your business or share one of your own moments that mattered.

Wishing you a magical week.

Claire x