Like every season, summer arrives with its own unique puzzle pieces. The music, the feel of the air, the holidays, the food, and the activities fit together to create memories from this distinct time of year. Growing up I remember feeling so excited for the next one to begin! Summer was always extra special and has made my heart beat and crackle loud like a firecracker! Summer has its own song, its own feeling, its own language. There is a certain sense of freedom that comes with summer, and an urge to create, experience, and reconnect with yourself and with others. Want to ignite your own firecracker heart? I’m about to tell you how!!
Photo by Studio Eiler @studioeiler
6 Ways to Ignite Your Firecracker Heart
My heart seems to beat a little more intensely during the summer. It is excited for new possibilities, for the feel of the sun beating down on my face while I’m listening to my favorite song, for the smell of pineapple and fresh air, for the touch of the sand and the cool air from the lake on my skin. My heart dances to the sounds of busy people, fireworks in the distance, and the crackle of bonfires. There are so many ways to allow your heart to roam free during these lively months of the year!
[ctt template=”2″ link=”j7d5D” via=”yes” ]Summer has its own song, its own feeling, and its own language. There is a certain sense of freedom that comes with summer, and an urge to create, experience, and reconnect with yourself and with others.[/ctt]1. Awaken your heart at sunrise
The days are long and the sun is up early! Open the windows and feel the summer air and sunlight pour into your space while you make your coffee or tea! It is one of the most invigorating feelings to wake up with the sun by your side and have a little extra time in the morning to start your day. You choose what you want to do with this time. If you want to meditate, find a space and just breathe. Or, maybe you want to spend your morning with your journal and a pen. Maybe you wish to simply sit and look outside and think. There is no right or wrong way to spend the early hours of a summer morning, and doing what you want to do is what is going to get those heart lines rocking and ready for an amazing day.
2. Kick-start your creativity
Finding passion in a project or a job fuels the heart. It gives your heart a unique sense of purpose and ownership. So I say … create, construct, arrange, write, cook, draw, prepare, or craft! Make something by using ingredients, supplies, tools, musical instruments, paper, machines; whatever it is that drives the passion that is in your heart. Bring life to something that didn’t exist until you made an idea a reality! This is just the kick-start that your heart needs in order to fuel its creative fire during these extra summer hours!
3. Quicken your pulse
It’s not a secret that being active is good for the heart! It gives you more energy, it inspires and motivates you to improve your health, and it simply feels good to move! The summer seems to spark my heart into wanting more than just my normal gym routine. I am motivated by seeing the activity of others. I love going to the lake for a casual walk and being surrounded by people running, biking, or just being out and about! It stirs up an energy that drives me to try a new exercise class, wake up with the sun and go on a walk with my coffee, or train for a race. Summer is an energizing season! Take advantage of its lively atmosphere and allow it to get your pulse moving!
4. Take your heart on a staycation
I absolutely love traveling and exploring new places, but having a ‘staycation’ can be just as exciting, especially if you plan it out with certain intentions. Are there places around your hometown that you have always wanted to visit or experience but have never seemed to find the time? Are there projects that you really want to finish, but they always seem to be put on the back burner? Carving out time during your normal summer routine to have a staycation is just as needed as that trip that you are thinking about taking to that tropical island. Staycations remind your heart and soul of the simple joys of being at home, and make you grateful for the life that surrounds you each and every day.
5. Listen to the heartbeat of the storm
Okay, this one might seem a little out of place, but rainy summer days are some of my favorite days to practice mindfulness, slow down, and look at the outside world with fresh eyes. Add in a thunderstorm, and my heart is bursting with every echoing boom and flash of light. Summer storms rejuvenate the outside world, and cleanse the soul. They cool down the air, allowing a certain sense of relief from the sun’s hot rays. Listen to the pitter-patter of the rain, the boom of the thunder, the crackle of lightening, and the wisps of the warm wind. These unique heartbeats of Mother Nature are some of the best sides of the summer sky, and can help set the pulse for a cozy, relaxing summer day.
6. Allow the music to pull at your heartstrings
Music has a special vibe during the summertime — it can be found in a playlist, at the concerts we attend, from a car radio pouring sound out of a rolled-down window, or the music we dance to near the rhythmic crackle of a bonfire. Embrace these sounds and the feelings that they bring your soul. Music is capable of creating moments of pure emotion and presence. Grasp these moments and keep them in your heart as mementos of this glorious season.
I created a playlist specifically with this post in mind entitled “Firecracker Heart.” Listen to it below, or follow on Spotify! Music is a big part of my life, and I can’t wait to share some of my summer favorites that get my heart racing!
A Firecracker Heart Is Contagious
I understand that not every day is going to be full of sunshine and happy music. No matter what season of the year it is, we are all experiencing different seasons of our lives which can bring both highs and lows to our days.
Just the other day I was experiencing a particularly low day. It was a beautiful, sunny blue-skied day, but I just wasn’t feeling that fire inside of me. Despite my mood, I decided to go on a walk and take advantage of the warm weather. As I walked near the river, I saw pure happiness everywhere. People were lost in conversation. A man was enjoying a cup of ice cream. A girl was engrossed in a book, a cup of coffee in her hand. Others had headphones in their ears and were running intensely down the walkway. I found myself lost in the happiness of others, and started to feel a little spark in my own heart.
Sometimes surrounding yourself with people who are experiencing their own personal fireworks can be just what you need to see the colors of your own fireworks again. All it takes is one little spark to start a fire!
Happy sweet summertime!!!
Summer is here and my heart is ready to beat louder for these long days, warm nights, and new experiences. What are some of your favorite ways to spend your summer days? Is there a project that you have been hoping to begin? Do you have songs that get your heart pumping? However you choose to spend these days, do so with your whole heart!
Wishing you zest & light,
Stephanie
Love this! I feel like everyone needs a reset every once in a while!
-Bridgette
http://www.justaroundtheneighborhood.com
Yes, summertime is a great time to reset and recharge! Thank you for reading, Bridgette!
Staycation! I’m a travel blogger and travelling means so much to me, but in the recent months I’ve really enjoyed my weekends at home or a day in the hotel or hostel and just read and relax!
Viktoria, I am sure you enjoy a good staycation with all of the traveling that you do! I’m sure being away from your home base makes you appreciate the time that you spend there even more =) Thanks for reading, and safe travels this summer on all of your adventures!!
Great advice, Stephanie! Sometimes, staycations are good not only so you appreciate where you live more, but so you can relax and soak it all in! I also like the idea of being creative and staying active. I found on days when I work hard, either at my job or at home, I not only get a lot done, but I am happier for it too!
I completely agree, Patricia! Sometimes when you take the time to really experience where you live you can find some amazing hidden gems and have experiences that you didn’t even know were possible. Great point about working hard to get things done to be happier! I also find that dedicating a day to checking things off of my to-do list allows me to have a clear mind; then I am able to find more enjoyment in other fun things that I want to do =) Thank you so much for reading! Happy summer!
Stephanie, great words, great advice,great insight. As you get older you realize all those precious moments of the past, but enjoying the hear and now is the greatest treasure. It’s the most important part of living.
To everyone out there. Find you passion and go for it.
Thanks so much, Dad! It’s very true. Seasons come with their own memories and great times that we remember, but it’s so important to live in the moment of these seasons of life and make new memories, too! As always, thank you for reading and your thoughtful comments. Love you!
Well, done! 🙌🏻I enjoyed reading this post so much!!! I feel very much the same as you about the summer and the wonderful things of summer! I love being in the sun either reading, doing yoga, laying out, or just sitting and meditation on life and situations! Love staycations! As much as I would love to travel more this summer, with the hubby having a new job, we can’t really do too much. We have had to think about fun things to do in our neck of the woods and be purposeful about our time! Thank you for such a wonderful read! Enjoy your Monday basking in the sun! ☀️
Erin, I totally agree! There are so many fun activities that we do all year long that just seem to be a little more exciting when we do them outside in that warm sunshine! I love that you and your husband are finding new and exciting things to do around where you live =) I am looking forward to following your adventures! Cheers to the Staycation! Thank you so much for reading! Enjoy this beautiful day!
Creativity! Absolutely love it, I’m a DIY-er and anything I see, my mind starts coming up with ways to do it and picturing the end result! Even if it doesnt look the way I wanted it to in the end, its the process of doing it that fulfills me!
Yes, Nita! With projects it is definitely about the process and the fun that we make as we get closer to that result. Hopefully you will have a lot of time this summer to dive into some fun DIY projects! Thank you so much for reading =)
I’m such a summer person-maybe because my birthday is in the summer, but it’s great! I love opening up every window in the house to let in the fresh air. For me, summer is invigorating!
Lynn, opening the windows on a cool summer night is literally one of my favorite things!! I completely agree, invigorating is the perfect word to describe this glorious season. I hope you have an amazing birthday!!
I love this! These are all so positive and uplifting. Definitely giving these a try~
Thank you Danielel, that is so sweet! Thank you for reading! Happy sweet summertime =)
I still miss living on the East Coast because of this. One of my favorite things to do was to go to the beach and just lay out with my buds in my ears listening to some good music. The sun beating on me, and my mind drifting off to all sorts of places…
Sarah, that is one of my favorite things to do, too! I’m sure the East Coast was a beautiful place to live! Thank you for reading =)
Summer is probably the best season to kick start anything! Creativity especially- more hours in the day gives so much to look forward to & get done. Definitely trying your list, and I LOVE that Spotify playlist!
Emily, I am so happy that you love the playlist! Yes, more hours in the day is so encouraging and motivating, especially with the sun getting up earlier and staying out longer =) Happy Summer!
One of my favourite parts of summer is going downtown and spending an evening at a nice restaurant patio with friends. Good vibes all around!
Yes!! I’m so happy that patio season is finally here!! Happy Summer, Sachie!
Your writing is spellbinding. wonderful post. I love summer…and the possibilities it brings each year.
Wow thank you so much, Sandra! Wishing you a summer with endless possibilities! =) Thanks so much for reading!
What a great list and this really makes me FEEL summer. I wish I could play the playlist!!! I’ll have to work on the technical stuff on my end.
Thanks, Rachael! Yes hopefully you can get the playlist to play! I think you might need to have Spotify downloaded on your computer to access it. Thank you for reading and happy summer!!
Lovely post and so love the passion with which you write. I see my beloved Chicago in your pics. I love getting downtown and feeling positive energy of so many people as well, even when I am not feeling it myself.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Kim! Downtown Chicago is a world of its own, right? There is so much positive energy and activity all around, it’s very contagious. Are you from the Chicago area? Thank you so much for stopping by Citrus and Sun! Happy Summer!
I love how beautifully this post is written! I feel like I definitely needed to read something like this at the start of summer because I don’t usually look forward to the summer time (only because of the heat). You really made me feel more positive and excited to see what this season will bring. I love traveling but nothing beats a staycation. 🙂
Thanks so much, Lisa!! Yes the heat can be unbearable sometimes. All the more reason to crank up the air with a good book and a cool drink inside! 😉 Happy sweet summertime!
Stephanie I really love this post. It speaks to my heart. I love a good thunderstorm, and in Florida we get a TON of these this month. One of my favorite things to do is sit on my porch and watch the rain, curled up with a cup of tea and a good book. Of course, sometimes when the storm is too strong, I just sit inside with the windows open and watch it. It really is rejuvenating for the soul. 🙂
I love your description of storm watching! I feel like you and I definitely have that in common. I’m sure you get a lot of good ones in Florida! We are having our first cloudy, stormy day in Chicago in a while, and I am loving every second of it =) I definitely needed a break from that sun! Thank you so much for reading!! Happy sweet summertime!!
Beautiful post. I think I totally share the same summer vibes with you. I am so into staycation too!
Thank you, Priyadarshini! Yes, staycations are the BEST!
Loves summer! Especially the summer mornings!
The mornings might be my favorite time of the day during the summer, Monnka! So peaceful, quiet, and warm! Thank you for reading! Happy summer!
How fun. I love these ideas. I do a few staycations, but I have a tendency to turn them into workcations. hmmm I may need to rethink that.
I have the SAME problem, Tonya! It is so hard to just relax sometimes, but we definitely need to give ourselves permission! Thank you for reading, and Happy summer!!
The cutest post I have ever read! I’m gonna go for a quick walk now 🙂 Maybe I’ll run into you by the lake one day! Keep on writing. You’re brilliant!
Milda, thank you so much for your kind words! They warmed my heart. Walking/running by the lake is one of my favorite things to do in the summer =) I definitely hope we run into each other someday!! How fun!!