Summer days as a kid. Memories of lying in the grass. Looking up at the bluest of blue skies and cloud-watching. Daydreaming. Letting my mind wander untethered. Thoughts drifting off on one tangent, then another, only to be brought back to earth by my mom calling me in for dinner.
Daydreaming. Such a huge part of childhood. But it’s a habit easily lost as we get older, as our days become more scheduled. We become adults, parents, with deadlines and to-do lists, and our minds become full with everyday responsibilities.
But perhaps daydreaming is even more essential as we get older. To sit. To do nothing. To daydream.
Daydreaming can remind us of what’s important. It can open us up to possibilities. With the mind untethered, thoughts show up that reveal our passions, our interests, our worries, our dreams. The ones that recur, that resonate, that stay with us long after the sun has gone down or the clouds have passed, they are the ones to pay attention to.
Daydreaming can be whimsical and fantastical, but it can also shine a clear light on activities or ideas we want to pursue. Daydreams can, in fact, become solid goals or create opportunities where we may have felt previously stuck.
So, why not put aside some time for daydreaming this summer? You never know where your mind will take you.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some clouds to watch.
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