“An Easter picnic at the beach in this dreary grey, damp English weather?” I exclaimed to my American friends. “I’m happy that our British neighbors invited us along on their annual family Easter picnic tradition, but to a beach in this weather?” I was a bit skeptical, but then again, I was younger and only about 23 years old. I’ve learned a lot since then. As I write this post some 31 years later, my cat Toby sits in my home office window looking out into the bright sunny late afternoon, watching the neighborhood activities and the Spring nature show with the birds busying about their day. Toby is now settled on windowsill with his eyes closed enjoying a warm sunbath in this unseasonably hot spring day. Toby in this moment, and my memory from 31 years ago on that dreary grey, damp English Easter picnic reminds me of the importance of perspective.
As we prepared for that picnic in England with my Air Force friend’s British neighbors, my friends and I had an amusing idea! We decided to bring our own sun to the picnic. So, we set about to use some yellow poster board to cut out a paper sun, staple it to a wooden post we found, and cover it in brown paper to hide our surprise addition to the Easter picnic. We drove over an hour to the coast along the eastern shores of the English Channel and trapsed out through a forest trail and onto the beach to set up our Easter picnic. Then, we pulled out our surprise addition, stuck it in the sand, pulled off the brown paper wrapper and proclaimed, “We’ve brought our own sun!” Everyone had a good laugh, and the image of the yellow poster board sun actually did bring a bit of brightness, laughter, and fun to our picnic. It was a different perspective that leaves me with positive happy memories of that Easter picnic from 31 years ago! We shifted our perspective and brought our own sun to turn an otherwise grey day into a bright cheery one. As a kid growing up in rural Georgia during the 1970’s we often had to change our perspectives, and instead of bringing our own sun we brought our own fun.
Way before the days of computer games, smart phones, tablets and more, as a kid in 1970’s rural Georgia we made our own fun. By that I mean, we played simple childhood games like freeze tag, hide-and-seek etc. We also used our creativity to design new games, play acting scenes from movies or favorite TV shows, especially superheroes, pretending to be explorers in the woodlands near home, or riding our bicycles all over town discovering new areas and meeting new friends. We had to bring our own fun. When kids these days don’t have a tablet, smart phone, or other electronic device, they may sometimes feel bored, but tapping into their creativity and designing their own fun, a positive perspective shift takes place. It is a lesson from childhood we as adults need to remind ourselves of often.
In our adult lives it is very important to consider bringing our own sun and fun to shift perspectives on challenging or otherwise grey days and experiences. For example, in my health journey over the past two weeks, I haven’t lost or gained any weight. Now, in one perspective I am frustrated and disappointed with myself because I was doing so well to lose 50 lbs. in the past four months. But I decided to shift my perspective and acknowledge where I slipped up in my nutrition choices. Also, in my change in perspectives, I allowed myself some grace with bad nutrition choices and splurges during vacation but was honest with myself about what needed to change to get back on track with weight loss. I also used the change in perspectives to become curious about trying different things with my daily nutrition and exercise to break up the monotony and bring a bit of sun and fun into my health journey.
I was reminded recently about the bring your own sun story from the Easter picnic in England when this past Saturday my husband and I decided to go visit Hillwood Museum and Gardens with a good friend who had never visited before. We were both a bit disappointed that the day was grey, rainy, and a bit chilly. But we decided to go anyway and enjoy the visit. I thought about the bring your own sun story and decided to whimsically wear a bright sunshine yellow shirt for the day. Nobody else knew the reason for my yellow shirt except for me. However, the simple act of wearing my yellow shirt was a current day version of bringing my own sun. It cheered me up and made me smile inside and out, shifting my whole perspective on the day. And we were glad that we decided to still go even on a grey rainy day because the gardens were bursting with brilliant spring floral colors. The vibrant primary-colored tulips at their peak gave way to the multi-hued flourish of azaleas and other flowering trees, shrubs and more. The grey backdrop was a perfect canvas for the bountiful brushstrokes of color that mother nature brought forth in the gardens. The gardens were bringing their own sun to a grey rainy day, and for that we were richly rewarded with the brilliant view, immersed in the midst of a garden bath in color, brightening our whole day and shifting perspectives.
I took the current day “bring your own sun” experience from Saturday into my work week to look for the sun or different perspectives in some challenges in work projects. I also brought the story with me in my graduate school classes this week and practice coaching sessions to think about questions I may ask coaching clients to help them shift perspectives on personal or professional challenges and goals they are working towards. Shifting perspectives is at the center of many of the things I’m currently working on including shifting perspectives on my relationship with food, proper nutrition to fuel my body, physical movement/exercise, mindfulness, my work projects and career as I just celebrated my two-year anniversary with my current company, and my graduate school courses and professional coaching conversations with clients.
There will always be challenges and grey rainy days in our personal and professional lives. And sometimes it is ok to just acknowledge the grey rainy day and be present and mindful in the moment. Then, there are times when we benefit from bringing our own sun and fun, shifting our perspectives on the day and situation. By shifting perspectives, we create light and a vision for a happier, positive, and productive experience and path forward. What are some of your stories where you’ve brought your own sun and fun? How did that shift in perspective help you improve your experience and positive movement forward? Where are there opportunities today for you to bring your own sun and fun and see a different perspective? As always, I encourage you to look at your own stories and find opportunities where you can bring your own sun because your story matters.
