Summer has somehow become a competitive sport. Scroll through social media for five minutes and you'll see rooftop parties, beach getaways, European adventures, and enough sunset photos (some of them are AI generated) to make you wonder if everyone except you received a secret invitation to the "Best Summer Ever" club. Here's a thought: what if summer isn't about doing something spectacular every single day? What if summer is less of an event schedule and more of a state of mind? Years ago my husband began a ritual of not opening up his Christmas presents on Christmas Day with the rest of us. He enjoyed the stretching out of the gift unboxing, before social media even titled it a special thing. Some years he has to be reminded in February that his birthday is coming up and we would like his Christmas gifts to be opened before his birthday! In 2024, he finished opening the last Christmas gift in June of 2025. He enjoyed the lingering of the love and efforts his family put into the gift-giving. Some food items had spoiled, of course, and I reminded him how lucky he was that we did not buy him a new pet!
Back to the Summer Mindset: Somewhere along the way, we've started measuring our summers by the number of plane tickets, parties, and picture-perfect moments we can squeeze into three short months. The reality, though, is that most of us are balancing work, responsibilities, budgets, and laundry that stubbornly refuses to fold itself. A summer afternoon with an iced coffee, a good book, and nowhere urgent to be can be just as meaningful as a passport stamp. Maybe even more so, because there's no jet lag involved.
It's also worth remembering that social media rarely shows the whole story. That dream vacation you're admiring might be the result of someone saving diligently for five or ten years. It could be the trip they've been planning since their kids were toddlers or the once-in-a-lifetime adventure they've postponed again and again. What looks like an everyday occurrence in a carefully curated feed may actually be the culmination of years of sacrifice, budgeting, and anticipation. We tend to compare our ordinary Tuesday to someone else's highlight reel, and that's a game nobody wins.
So if your summer consists of backyard dinners, evening walks, local farmers markets, or simply enjoying longer days and warmer weather, that's not a lesser version of summer. It is not a lesser version of anything. We need reminding that every day is a gift, and we may say, "Thank you," to God every day for our many blessings, surprises, loves, and gifts. Summer isn't a contest, a travel itinerary, or a requirement to be constantly entertained. It's a feeling. It's slowing down enough to notice the sunshine on your face, laughing with people you love, and finding joy in the season you're actually living—not the one someone else posted online. And honestly, that's a pretty great summer. Funnily enough, San Francisco, where I live is notorious for completely fogged out days, and cold weather. The end of September and most of October are when we usually get sunny days in the 70s. The main point I am making is that we need not ever feel less than because of comparison.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
@superiorself on Instagram and X
@SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
@superiorselfwithkjlandis on TikTok
[email protected]
Books available everywhere!
Back to the Summer Mindset: Somewhere along the way, we've started measuring our summers by the number of plane tickets, parties, and picture-perfect moments we can squeeze into three short months. The reality, though, is that most of us are balancing work, responsibilities, budgets, and laundry that stubbornly refuses to fold itself. A summer afternoon with an iced coffee, a good book, and nowhere urgent to be can be just as meaningful as a passport stamp. Maybe even more so, because there's no jet lag involved.
It's also worth remembering that social media rarely shows the whole story. That dream vacation you're admiring might be the result of someone saving diligently for five or ten years. It could be the trip they've been planning since their kids were toddlers or the once-in-a-lifetime adventure they've postponed again and again. What looks like an everyday occurrence in a carefully curated feed may actually be the culmination of years of sacrifice, budgeting, and anticipation. We tend to compare our ordinary Tuesday to someone else's highlight reel, and that's a game nobody wins.
So if your summer consists of backyard dinners, evening walks, local farmers markets, or simply enjoying longer days and warmer weather, that's not a lesser version of summer. It is not a lesser version of anything. We need reminding that every day is a gift, and we may say, "Thank you," to God every day for our many blessings, surprises, loves, and gifts. Summer isn't a contest, a travel itinerary, or a requirement to be constantly entertained. It's a feeling. It's slowing down enough to notice the sunshine on your face, laughing with people you love, and finding joy in the season you're actually living—not the one someone else posted online. And honestly, that's a pretty great summer. Funnily enough, San Francisco, where I live is notorious for completely fogged out days, and cold weather. The end of September and most of October are when we usually get sunny days in the 70s. The main point I am making is that we need not ever feel less than because of comparison.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
@superiorself on Instagram and X
@SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
@superiorselfwithkjlandis on TikTok
[email protected]
Books available everywhere!
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