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The sight of blue lupine growing wild by the side of the road. The sound of crickets humming on a hot, summer day while you read in the hammock. The smell of sumac as you hike on a local trail. The taste of freshly cut watermelon. The feel underfoot of the tide rushing back out to the sea.

These are treats mostly relegated to a few summer months. We spend more than half the year eagerly anticipating these simple pleasures, and then rarely have the quiet moment or luxury of extended empty hours to truly enjoy what was so expected and natural when we were children.

Another special summer childhood adventure was overnight camp. Remember the fear at arrival with all the nervous worries? Who are these other kids? What is expected of me? I dont know if I can do it

And then a week or two later, the fear was always replaced with mastery of new sports like sailing or archery, confidence in newly acquired outdoor living skills such as building fires or identifying edible berries, and camaraderie of new friends.

Make the most of these short-lived longer days, great weather, and brief interludes we get in summer. Plan what youll do as if you really did have a chunk of time earmarked for an experience just like those you enjoyed at summer camp. How do you really want to spend this precious season?

Indulge Your Desire to Read, Listen to music, Watch Movies
* Go to an outdoor concert and bring a picnic
* Read a book outside your preferred genre; indulge an urge for a mystery, romance or thriller
* See a just released romantic comedy or action flick in a nicely chilled theater

Notice the season and Its Bounty
* Hand-crank ice cream with summer berries
* Pick Your Own corn and other veggies
* Gather seeds from flowers to extend your beds next year

Make New Friends & Time for Favorite Friends
* Plan half-distance play dates with people you dont see often
* Join a book club and offer to host a meeting
* Put a personal profile on one of the online social networking sites

Test & Enjoy Your Physical Being
* Try sea kayaking or wall climbing
* Start or end your day with a neighborhood walk
* Strengthen your core with yoga or pilates

learn Something New
* Immerse yourself in a foreign language
* Try a new style of cooking or perfect a recipe
* Teach yourself to make a kite and then fly it!

I encourage you to make the most of this summer. Take a time out from your usual routine and obligations to create space for experimenting with genuine fun and maybe a new passion or two.

If this seems impossible, you need immediate help! Im jesting only a bit. If youve lost track of your inner child, seek out the counsel of close friends (who knew you when you were knee high) or a coach. They can detect those inner yearnings and lost passions. Life is meant to be satisfying and fun.

Gotta go! Fresh rhubarb growing in the backyard is just screaming to be baked in a pie yum, yum.

2007 Andrea R. Williams

Andrea Williams, personal and small business success coach, is the creator of the Fearless, Fabulous Project, a 12-week, step-by-step discovery and rejuvenation process to help you gain clarity and commitment about what is most important to you. If you're ready to pump your life with more fun & fulfillment, check out Andrea's coaching programs and resources now at http://www.FearlessFabulousLife.com and sign up for Fearless, Fabulous Female, her free ezine on personal reinvention at midlife.