Well, we are coming up on Summer (a notoriously short season in Ontario) and needless to day, I’m very excited. I tend to try an pick up a new hobby each season, and set unbelievably lofty goals for myself.

This summer, I am planning on working on my watercolours, which is reasonable.
Then, I wanted to start adding other goals - maybe I learn French! I could go to Yoga five times a week!

And I caught myself doing something I do all the time, which is making sure I have a long list of goals in case, heaven forbid, I somehow get bored.

Which is funny, because one of the things I wanted to schedule the most was relaxation.

Now, this is pretty standard for me.

Give me an empty shelf and I want to put something on it.
Give me a free evening and I'll suddenly remember six things I could be doing.
Give me an open weekend and somehow it turns into a project plan.

It’s a bit of a treadmill, and not the 10,000 steps a day kind.

There’s a story I read in my “Daily Tao” app which has resonated with me. Paraphrasing from this blog, the story goes as follows:

Once, a university professor went to visit a well-respected Zen Master to learn about Zen. The Master first invited him to sit for a cup of tea. The professor sat down and started talking about Zen.
The Master quietly prepared and poured the tea. When the tea was filled to the cup's brim, he kept pouring.
The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself.
"It's full! No more will go in!" blurted the professor.
"The same with your mind. How can I teach you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

OOf. How many times have I been the professor - eager to show what I already know, with an irresistible desire to learn even more?

Which brings me to this newsletter.

I've loved writing A Happiness Process - the rebrand has felt much more “me,” and writing it has given me a reason to pay closer attention to my own life, and to yours.

But Ontario summers are short.

And lately I've felt a pull toward gathering a few more experiences and producing a little less commentary about them.

So I'm going to leave some intentional empty space, and as such, A Happiness Process will be taking a break for the summer.

I'll still pop up from time to time.
I have a podcast appearance coming out that I'm excited about, a few guest articles I'll be writing for other newsletters, and the odd thing I feel compelled to share or get your input on.

Not to worry - the regular rhythm will resume in September with a new infusion of experiences and ideas.

If there's one thing I'd leave you with, it's this:

Most of us are very good at filling capacity. I don’t think it’s our fault, either.
We have been conditioned to think that being busy is the default.
I once did an experiment where I counted how many times in a week when I used the word “busy,” and while I forget the actual results now, I know it was enough to raise some eyebrows.

There’s a difference between being “busy” and being intentional with your time.
I’m hoping that by leaving some space empty in my cup, I can learn more, experience more, and yes, maybe even be bored every once in a while.

If you're heading into summer too, maybe that's the experiment.

Find one small place where you can leave the cup a little less full.

And see what shows up in the space.