Inspiration by Dina Emser

Sizzle—say it. It’s a word that makes its own sound when spoken, an onomatopoeia—easy for you to say! Surely you remember learning about those in grade school: bang, bash, gong, crack, zoom, achoo, meow...

Words that tear up the pages of a comic book or lend a rhyming structure to Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Words that signal something lively and active is happening. You’d better pay attention or you might get whacked.

But the sound of sizzle isn’t the half of it. Sizzle is a word that elicits lots of sensory images all at once—a sound, a smell, a tingle of anticipation. When it sizzles, there is change in the making and you can almost feel what’s going to happen. Something is going from cold to hot very quickly, raw to cooked, pale to pink. We’re not talking snap, crackle, pop, but siz-zle!

For something to really sizzle, the temperature and conditions have to be just right or the results our mouths are watering for just don’t happen. You know what it’s like to put something on the grill when it’s not hot enough. Clunk—not much! Or just try to cook fresh sweet corn in water that has not been properly preheated. Fizzle—nothing. All those ears sink to the bottom of the pot and just lay there. Thud.

But when it’s right, the results can be unbelievably delicious. Summer is like that. A time when all the elements line up and the energy is there that makes things happen. The days just along. Birds humchirp and tweet to provide music for our lives in the background. The summer sun simmers from overhead to provide the warmth we’ve been waiting for. Skates, bikes, boats, boards all come out of the garage for a clatter of activity. “This is what we’ve been waiting for,” we murmur.

And as we all know, this sensational season is short. Once the dog days of summer begin to at us in August, thoughts of fall and back-to-school begin to tug at our consciousness. barkEek. Take every opportunity to enjoy the wonders that this season brings. Wake up, explore and enjoy all of the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, and the feels of this sensual season.

Aaahh, summer.

~Dina Emser

Dina Emser is a Professional Development Coach who partners with business professionals to achieve more with less stress. Call for a complimentary consultation (309.467.4429) or visit her website, www.dinaemser.com.