50 Inspiring Ideas for You to Create a Summer of Purpose

Summer. It’s a time of fun, sun, picnics, a break from school, and maybe going to camp, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. Writer Gary Shteyngart calls summer, “the height of being alive.” And Oprah Winfrey claims, “Summer has a flavor like no other. Always fresh and simmered in sunshine.”

Depending on where you live, the air may not always smell or be so fresh in the summer heat, but we at Whole Champion, appreciate the sunshine at any time of the year, for it warms our bodies and our souls and helps things grow. We also celebrate the summer for its extra hours of daylight and for its extra opportunities to live a life of purpose.

That’s why from the end of June until the end of August, Whole Champion Foundation encourages everyone to live a Summer of Purpose. Here are 50 ideas to inspire you on how to do just that:

1. Reduce your carbon footprint by walking, biking, skateboarding, or using non-motorized transportation to get places.
2. Practice kindness. It’s free and a kind word and showing understanding may just make someone’s day in a positive way.
3. Commit to plastic-free living.
4. Exercise daily.
5. Eat fresh foods (as opposed to processed ones).
6. Embrace personal well-being by practicing good hygiene, tending to your mental health and reserving time to do things you enjoy, and sending yourself some compassion and love.
7. Donate your time and energy to a cause you believe in.
8. If you go on vacation, donate a few hours or day or more to a local community’s needs.
9. Choose to make a positive difference every single day.
10. Read something that stimulates your mind.
11. Choose joy.
12. Show care to your neighbors by stopping to chat, seeing if they need anything, or if you can help.
13. Ask to do an errand or a chore for someone elderly.
14. Volunteer for beach or river clean-up or trail rebuilding.
15. Move your body (as opposed to sitting for most of the day).
16. Eat lots of fruits and veggies.

    

17. Reduce your sugar intake.
18. Drink lots of water (one ounce for every two pounds you weigh) each day.
19. Wear sunscreen, even if the sun isn’t brightly shining.
20. Walk barefoot in the grass to ground yourself to the earth.
21. Comment positively to a manager or publicly on great customer service you have received.
22. Know what’s happening in the world around you by paying attention to current events.
23. Vote, if you are 18 or older, in every election.
24. Use natural cleaning products in your home and on yourself.
25. Clean out your closets and donate your unworn or little worn items to charity.
26. Donate or upcycle the used sporting goods cluttering your closet, basement, or garage.
27. Choose at least one day each week where you don’t eat meat.
28. Plant a garden, even a small one in containers.
29. Help plant trees in your neighborhood.
30. Use your social media to promote causes and solutions you believe in.
31. Practice gratitude every day.
32. Hike to connect with nature and to learn about trees, plants, animals, and insects.
33. Shop your local farmers’ market and buy what’s freshest and in-season while supporting local agriculture.
34. Strength your relationships through spending time with friends and family and having adventures together.
35. Deliberating rest and relax…and don’t feel guilty about doing so.
36. Foster new passions and personal growth by trying a new sport or activity, reading or taking a course, or doing something you’ve only dreamed of.
37. Collect items the wish list items for a local animal shelter and then donate them.
38. Organize a neighborhood garage sale and donate the proceeds to a nonprofit.

    

39. Participate in a charity walk or a fun run in your own area or as a destination vacation.
40. Choose to be device-free for half a day or a whole day or even for a few hours. By putting down the screen you can concentrate on the people and places around you.
41. Expand your circle by socializing with people you don’t know well at BBQs, outdoor concerts, and other summer events.
42. Visit local museums (many have free days).
43. Upcycle something old into something new by giving it a repurpose, a new paint job, or a mend or repair.
44. Start a book club in your neighborhood.
45. Call an old friend and catch up.
46. Give yourself a spa-day, away or at-home. Pampering and self-love is the key.
47. Get in touch with your inner child and play with the exuberance of a kid on a playground or climb a tree.
48. Learn about your town’s history and take a walking tour.
49. Write letters or send postcards to surprise people you know (or people you don’t).
50. Choose a different purpose for every single day of the summer and you’ll be surprised by September, how much good you’ve done, care you’ve shown, and love you’ve delivered to yourself, to others, and to the planet we call home.