Fire Season

The season of being seen.

There is something about early summer that makes us want to come back to life. We stayed outside a little longer. We call a friend. We laugh more easily. We remember what it feels like to have energy instead of just getting through the day. Nature is not trying to be productive right now. It is expressing itself. Maybe we can, too. 

When I think about Fire, I don’t think about being loud or outgoing. I think about feeling alive. That feeling when you lose track of time because you are doing something you love. The deep belly laugh that catches you by surprise. The conversation that leaves you feeling lighter. The moment you realize, “I feel like myself again.” That is the energy I am talking about. 

The nervous system is not meant to stay in survival mode forever or even consistently long term. When we have normalized coping, masking, surviving, performing, care giving, just getting through the next thing, it becomes too easy to lose touch with your joy, your authentic Self. Not because it is gone, because our system has not had enough safety internally for it. 

Fire invites us back. Not by forcing happiness or pretending but by creating enough steadiness inside that joy has somewhere to land. Sometimes the Fire burns too hot. You might find yourself saying “yes” to everything, your mind will not slow down, you are restless but exhausted, or maybe your check-ed out, you might be irritable or overwhelmed, you find yourself doing things that once filled your cup but you are still running on empty. That is not a personal failure. It is a nervous system asking for a different version of support. Sometimes the Fire burns too quietly. Nothing excites you, you isolate, you feel flat, lose motivation. This is information, and does not mean Fire is gone. It may be covered by stress, grief, burnout, anxiety, and years of putting everything and everyone first. 

What makes me feel more like myself? Not happier, more productive, more successful, but more authentic and aligned. The answer is integrative and ever changing through our many seasons of life. It might look like swimming in a river, sitting quietly with coffee, saying NO, laughing until you cry or your stomach aches. All of these moments matter. They are an offering of discipline to your authenticity, values, lifestyle. 

During the early summer season of Fire energy take notice…

What gives you energy instead of taking it?

Who helps your shoulders soften?

When do you feel most connected?

What have you been talking yourself out of?

What makes you lose track of time?

Where are you still performing instead of simply being?

The goal is not to immediately change everything. Just notice and sit in awareness. Notice that you do not have to just “push through” or suppress what your body, mind, heart, and spirit are experiencing. Awareness is the first step toward coming home to a more authentic Self. 

More exploration…

What lights you up?

What has dimmed your spark?

Who do you feel safest being yourself around?

Where have you confused business with vitality?

What would it look (or feel) like to choose joy without guilt or shame?

Where have I become who others need me to be?

What parts of myself feel too much?

What parts of myself do not feel like enough?

What would I do differently if I was not worried about being judged?

What keeps me from fully enjoying good moments?

Do I brace for something bad whenever life feels good?

How have I confused happiness with productivity?

What would joy look like if it didn’t have to be earned?

What am I trying to prove?

What feels impossible to let go of?

Where am I giving from an empty cup?

What keeps me saying yes when I want to say no?

What would happen if I rested before I “deserved” it?

Who do I become when I feel safe?

What relationships leave me feeling more like myself?

Which relationships leave me feeling smaller?

What keeps pulling at my heart?

What have I talked myself out of?

What dream(s) have I labeled as unrealistic?

What part of me is waiting for permission?

What part of me is afraid people will truly see me?

What compliments are hard for me to receive?

What would it feel like to take up space without apologizing?

Where have I mistaken visibility for danger?

What does my body do when I experience joy?

Does feeling excited also make me anxious?

Is it easier for me to care for others than receive care myself?

What emotions feel unsafe for me to express?

What am I protecting myself from when I stay busy?

What would safety feel like in my body, not just the mind?