The last time I took a pause in writing Sonya’s Blog, my mother died. This time the silence was to focus on me; specifically, doing things this summer (while the days are longer and warmer) that I normally don’t have and/or make time to do. I am dedicated to my clients, love what I do and continue to work hard with them daily. The time I traded was for my own product. Sound selfish? I don’t think so. I was doing this for me!

The blog was only suspended for a short period. Today, Sonya’s Blog is back. I’m happy to share that the trade-off was well-worth it.

I intentionally added more love, peace, joy; and, ultimately replenished my soul with sunshine and adventure. I had fun and here’s what I was able to enjoy:

A DIY Project: I love tall wildflowers at my mailbox and they have been missing for several seasons. I found a tray at my trusty independent nursery, Benedict’s, which I have written about before on Sonya’s Blog. I planted them; and, now when I turn into my driveway, the flowers bring me joy.

Volunteering: It was super rewarding because I was able to work alongside my teenage daughter. I was not only supporting a non-profit with goods and/or financial help which we normally do; but we invested actual sweat equity. I walked the walk showing my daughter that volunteering is priceless. She also showed me her strength and her passion in working with children. By the way, my daughter logged 35 hours a week for 5 weeks. I didn’t log anywhere near those hours. Kudos to her! Check out the organization. It may be a cause that you want to help support, Horizons at Notre Dame Fairfield.

This is a picture drawn by one of my daughter’s students.

A family gathering: The pandemic disrupted our every two-year family reunion. It was resurrected this year but at the last minute; so, many of us were unable to go. I, along with my sister and niece, planned a family gathering for several families over a three day weekend to meet in the midwest. We prayed, ate, and talked. It was an amazing experience to be physically surrounded by so much love!

Art Outing: Most people don’t know this about me but I was one class short of an Art History minor in undergraduate school. So, I made it a point to plan a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see one of my favorite artist, Winslow Homer. The exhibit was only available for a limited time so it was extra special that we were able to see it while it was still there. My family enjoyed it too.

Visiting Connecticut State Parks: If you follow me at all, you know that I brag on CT State Parks all the time. They are an amazing refuge; and, while we normally make sure we visit them, this time we were able to do so in the middle of the day. We particularly loved one that is considered a state forest called TopSmead State Forest. It’s a beautiful site.

My purpose was to take back some time from my days and invest in myself. So, the list of adventures, activities and fun listed above are just some of the ways I spent my extra time these past weeks. My question to you is, what have YOU done for YOU lately?

Sonya Ruff Jarvis is an entrepreneur and Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants LLC. Sonya is a Business & Marketing Consultant; Content Creator & Connection-Maker; Thought Leader & Industry Expert and Book Author & Entrepreneur. Areas of expertise include: Retail, Marketing, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and Human Resources. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 30 years . Please feel free to contact her at sonya@jarvisconsultants.com. Interested in Sonya’s books? They can be found on Amazon.