Summer Solstice... where were you?

 The summer solstice falls on the longest day of the year and marks the moment when the days begin to grow shorter. In cultures where the short days are REALLY short (and last for a very long time!), like Scandinavia, it is the time to celebrate Midsummer.

In the lands of the summertime “white nights” the sun doesn’t go down until almost 11 pm and comes back up at around 4 am. You get used to sleeping “with the light on.” I’ve been there, trying not to wake up so early!

On this summer solstice, though, I’m In Würzburg with my friends Michaela and Stefan. Michaela proposed an evening around “The Wheel of Reflection.”

We sat within a circle of candles marking the cardinal and ordinal directions. That circle marked our boundary of sacred space together.

We took our time sharing in four rounds about the past year, teasing out:

•  Successes
•  Failures
•  Learning
•  Surprises

It made me deeply reflect on the parts of the journey I can remember and how quickly life can seem to change when I’m on the road so much.

I’m reflecting that I need a reflection practice! Otherwise it’s easy to forget what happened along the way, to feel that nothing much has changed, to lose the learning that seemed so potent in the moment.

Otherwise I leave the gifts by the side of the road.

This is why it is important to review the stories I’m holding about my life, my work and my experience. This is also why so many coaches and teachers suggest a journaling practice. It can be too easy to be a consumer in your own life, rather than a participant.

While we listened, we each wrapped a stick in coloured threads to remind ourselves of the journey. It felt like a meditation and a marking of the journey. It made it easier to listen and stay present to the others.

And at the end, our sticks made the sparks fly into the full moon sky.

May the journey continue to teach you. And may you be blessed with others who share it.

#storyactivist #storytelling #solstice #reflection #learning #WhatistheJourneyTeachingYou