I’m sure he’s saying something About my personality in the past three years, one of my years New Year’s resolutions It was “Have More Fun”. Well, not just to have more fun… But for learn How to have fun. classic Enneagram 3My intense work ethic may conflict with mine at times The ultimate goal is to live life to the fullest. Therefore, every January 1st when I mention how I want Next year For consideration, I inevitably write copy of the following: “More joy, more laughter, more play.”
In the scheme of things, the beginning of 2023 is far behind us. We have traveled through the winter and find ourselves on the verge of spring. It’s arguably the best time of the year – there’s hope and promise of warmer, sunnier days ahead. But often, with the excitement of our resolutions months behind us, our momentum slows. And regaining the same drive we once felt may seem impossible.
I always deviated more seriously. When I’m in the area with a goal in mind, it’s hard for me to see what’s outside of my carefully designed business plan. But to be more comfortable, I know that breaking this script is exactly what I need to feel more happy in the daily experience. When I’m on a long walk or at the beach, I easily fall into a headspace that’s all about enjoying life rather than checking things out My to-do list. and yes, beauty of nature It tends to awaken that spirit in many of us. But I also think it has something to do with the fact that being interrupted in the flow of life makes us feel more alive.
Featured image from Our interview with Olivia Moniac by Michelle Nash.
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How to have fun in life, starting today
I started 2023 by downloading a new book with an appropriate title The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again. The author, Kathryn Price (who also wrote This is my other favourite) by breaking down her definition of the term “real pleasure”. It turns out that there are many things we can do He thinks Fun is, upon further examination, not satisfying after all. She categorizes things like parasailing and scrolling through social media as “fake fun.”
“Fake fun numbs us and leaves us empty when we’re done. Real fun keeps us feeling nourished and refreshed.”
I believe that even when dangerous things happen in the world around us, we can express sympathy and compassion while also welcoming play and laughter into our days. Inspired by my readings and experiences, this is how I learn to enjoy the small, everyday moments that bring wonder and excitement into my life.
Fun is a mindset
Let’s use the example most of us encounter every day: making dinner. There are two women having the same dinner on a Tuesday night. Let’s say, lasagna. Someone paying attention halfway through what she’s doing thinking about a problem at work that day while cursing herself for choosing a recipe that calls for multiple layers of macaroni/cheese/sauce because she still has lunches to pack and emails to answer. … This is all a little too much for a Tuesday.
the other woman? She is barefoot in the kitchen with music playing, enjoying the experience of doing one of her favorite things. Perhaps you will enlist a family member to help her class. Maybe you pour a glass of wine and savor the feeling of doing one of her favorite things on a Tuesday night. Same circumstance, totally different experience.
Or think of the simple act of striking up a conversation, something we do all the time, with strangers, family, and friends. What distinguishes a boring conversation from a conversation that is considered “joking” or even courting? It’s all about how we choose to see it.
True fun is fun, connection and flow
In her book, Price identifies three qualities that must be present for experience TRUE Fun in Our Lives: Fun, Connection, and Flow. Fun is a spirit of wit and freedom, where you don’t think too much about daily responsibilities but instead get fully involved in everything you do.
“When people are cheerful, they shine.”
Connection is having a shared experience with another person or thing. It could be a connection to nature, an activity you love (such as painting), or another animal or person. It occurs when someone “joins someone while at the same time feeling exactly the same.”
And Flow is a term Describes the feeling of being so fully involved in the current experience that you lose track of time. It’s the feeling of being lost in everything you do.
If my goal is to have more fun, I can look for experiences that include all three of these qualities, or look for ways to infuse more of each into my daily life. when fun, connection, And flow Existing, we get the magic of real fun.
Embrace the idea of unconditional pleasure
My definition of unconditional pleasure is: There is no need to wait for things to become a certain way of enjoying. It does not depend on what is happening around us. Rather, it is an internal transformation of energy – a way of moving through the world that does not depend much on external conditions. Imagine this person who always seems to have a blast. (Drew Barrymore, anyone?) Magnetic, right? I’ve been searching for those little moments of joy that can be found even in an imperfect day. When I pay careful attention, everything comes to life.
Have more fun by breaking the text
Two years ago, I read and loved a book called The power of moments. It’s about how we can create more memories and extraordinary moments in our lives. One of the main points I drew from was a concept called “text breaking”. The idea is that by doing something unexpected, we turn off our autopilot and turn routine moments into something more enjoyable.
“Breaking Script” moments I’ve been embracing lately:
- After dinner, instead of turning on the TV, take Family walk around the neighborhood.
- Takes bathroom With a great podcast on my headphones – in the middle of the day!
- Notice something you like about someone in your life and tell them.
- instead of to watch My kids play dodgeball, jump and play with them. (This also happens to be a great exercise.)
- Make fancy cocktails (or mocktails!) on the weekends.
- Do something you’ve never done before. I wanted to try rock climbing.
- Create a new recipe.
- Read poetry instead of nonfiction.
- Look for opportunities Random acts of kindness. Believe me, they are everywhere.
- When the kids are in their pajamas for bed, I announce we’re going to get ice cream.
- I buy myself flowers – and splurge on peonies.
- get up early to Morning meditation on the backyard. There’s just something about watching the sunrise that completely changes my day.
Spontaneity is the spice of life
I also learned in The power of moments New experiences make time seem to slow down and trigger memories in our brain. As children, we were experiencing a lot of things for the first time. Instead of checking “water plants” off our to-do list, we’d look at the tiny wings of a hummingbird or watch earthworms burrow in the soil. I’ll never forget my mother’s occasional advertisement about “cutting bananas for dinner!” Sure, it wasn’t healthy in and of itself, but the spontaneity of those nights fueled my soul in a way broccoli could never have.
Life is too short. I’m ready to play.
I wonder if we could, instead of viewing the unknowns and doubts in our lives as “stressful,” reframe it as an opportunity to get back in touch with our inner child who lives day in and day out? We couldn’t plan everything then – and there’s a lot we can’t plan now.
So let’s get fully involved in life. Smile generously, laugh easily, look for opportunities for fun, and disrupt routine. Life is too short. I’m ready to play.
This post was originally published on March 8, 2022, and has since been updated.
