Between Being and Doing

6/9/26

...Reflections on Balance, Illumination, and the Summer Solstice

As we approach the halfway point of the year and move toward the Summer Solstice, the season of greatest light—I’ve been reflecting on illumination and balance. Social media, the news, and our collective conversations seem to be shining a light on what was once hidden, bringing both immense challenges and potential solutions into clearer view.

At the same time, life has called me outward in new ways. May became one of the busiest months of work I’ve had to date. Yet with that outward momentum came an equal and opposite pull inward- a deep yearning to rest in the mystery of being. A longing for stillness, deeper listening, and less attention on the constant movement of the mind, with more attention given to the wisdom and grounding presence of the body. I found myself honoring that call by spending nearly a week on silent retreat.

For me, entering this summer season has been an exploration of balance: expression and reflection, engagement and rest, doing and being.

Maybe this is one of the invitations of our time. Our nervous systems are being asked to navigate an unprecedented amount of stimulation, information, and change. Learning how to move with these currents, without becoming overwhelmed by them- feels increasingly important. Not as something to perfect, but as an ongoing practice of listening, adapting, and returning to what is essential.

As the days grow longer and brighter, I find myself sensing into what life is calling forth. I'm grateful for the way this season of light illuminates both what wants to emerge and what longs to rest.

There is also a growing curiosity about what lies beyond the apparent divide between being and doing. What if it is not one or the other, but both at once? There are days when this feels undeniably true. And there are times when I'm either sprawled across the sofa, completely spent, or moving through the day like a squirrel that discovered a fresh pot of coffee. I’m glad this end of the spectrum is less and less the case.

Neither seems to be a problem.

Life continues to unfold moment by moment, revealing different expressions, different energies, and different needs. The opportunity, as I see it, is simply to pay attention—to bring awareness to what is here, to rest in the awareness that notices it all, and to make room for balance when balance is needed.

As the sun reaches its peak this Solstice, may we each find our own way of moving gracefully between rest and action, stillness and expression. And through it all, remember to bring a little lightheartedness to the journey as well.