Have you been a little testy lately? A bit of a sourpuss?
Do you catch yourself making snide or sarcastic remarks that you wouldn’t normally say?
Do you feel frustrated with everything that’s going on in your life right now?
Do you feel resentful for no apparant reason?
Do you often feel annoyed with everyone and everything?
You may be wondering if there is something wrong with you, but there is no need to worry. You're quite normal. Actually, these behaviors and feelings are clues that point to the fact that something very important is missing from your life.
An important aspect of creating a life you love is being able to fill your life with joy, pleasure, and fun.
Fortunately, we don’t need a lot of time or money to achieve this. What we do need is attention. We need to start paying more attention to the simple joys we encounter each and every day.
Below is a list (in no particular order) of some of my personal favorites. Try reading through the list slowly and pausing for a moment to imagine each experience before moving on to the next one in the list. I hope these will inspire you to create your own list of simple pleasures and add more joy to life every day. Enjoy!
Sitting outdoors on a warm, sunny day
Playing with a puppy
Enjoying the aroma of a freshly opened can of coffee
Watching a beautiful sunset with someone special
Listening to the rain
Watching snow fall
Watching a butterfly or bumble bee make it’s rounds
Laughing so hard that it makes my eyes water and my face hurt
Laughing or giggling for no particular reason
Finding no lines at the post office, grocery store or bank
Knowing I’ve done the right thing
Having someone play with my hair
Finding a 5 dollar bill in the pocket of a coat I haven’t worn in a while.
Paying someone a compliment
Helping a loved one
Smelling the fresh, moist scent of spring
Smelling the crisp, woody scent of autumn
Going for a ride on a scenic road
Watching the dance of water in a fountain
Listening to the sound of a water in a stream or river
Feeling the warmth of clean towels fresh out of the dryer
"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." - E.E. Cummings
Maybe I'm weird, but I've always enjoyed E.E. Cummings' unusual style of poetry. I guess I just appreciate its quirky simplicity. That's also why I like this particular quote of his.
When I came across this quote the other day, it made me stop and think. To my dismay, I suddenly realized that I don't laugh as often as I used to. I wondered why.
Is it because of the precarious and somber nature of the current economic downturn? It certainly doesn't help, but that's not the reason.
Is it because of difficult or frustrating life circumstances? Well, I've had my share of those over the last few years but that's not "it" either.
After giving it some thought I realized that it's simply because somewhere along the way I've lost my sense of humor. I've let myself get bogged down in the "serious business" of my life and stopped giving laughter the respect or priority it deserves.
Yes, there are difficulties and challenges, as well as fears and tears. But there is also joy, beauty, love and serenity. In the daily grind, I'd forgotten that there is always a flip side to a slice of anything...even a slice of life.
I have so much to be greatful for--so many blessings that get lost in frenetic pace of modern living. I need to pause more often to acknowledge them. I also need to step back from the daily grind more often to celebrate life and all it's complexity, mystery and ambiguity. What better way to celebrate life than with pure, simple, unadulterated laughter?
Laughter is not only important to our emotional and physical well-being, it's also critical to the quality of our life journey. The truth is, we need laughter most during those times when we feel least in the mood for it.
As a nation we're facing some tough times in the months ahead. It's more important than ever for us to remember to put a little laughter into each day. It'll help us keep our heads above water during whatever storms may come our way.
The other day a relative sent me a funny animal video that had me laughing out loud for the first time in ages. And you know what? It felt great! So in the hope that it will brighten your day and trigger a few chuckles for you too, I've included it here. Enjoy!
In my last post I listed 12 low/no cost ideas for having fun together as a family. (Many of these activities can also be done solo.) Here's a list of 12 more.
Go fly a kite...literally. You can get several inexpensive colorful kites, one for each member of the family.
Toss a frisbee around.
Go for a hike or a long walk.
Go to a museum or art gallery.
Go ice skating, roller skating or skateboarding together.
Have a family movie night. Rent a DVD of a movie, make a large bowl of popcorn, and curl up on the couch in your favorite sweats. You can even do this on a weekly basis by designating a particular night of the week as “Movie Night”.
Have a mini-marathon of several episodes of your favorite TV series. (You can record a bunch of episodes or buy a set on DVD). I’ve done this on my own several times as a special "retreat" from my hectic schedule. I always enjoy how wonderfully indulgent it feels just to lounge and become absorbed in my favorite TV saga.
Write a story together. Taking turns, each family member contributes a sentence or paragraph. These stories can become outrageous and funny. You can even write them down or record them on a little digital voice recorder.
Dance the night way. Play some loud music and really let yourself get into the groove. It not only energizes your mood it's also great exercise too.
Write letters to grandparents. Most people enjoy getting letters from their loved ones. Even if they live in the neighborhood, getting personal letters or cards from their grandchildren will definately make their day. You can also have them write letters or cards to elderly relatives or family friends. Older people can often feel lonely and isolated and getting an unexpected, cheery note will certainly be appreciated.
Read a book together. You can read to each other or just cuddle up together and each ready a book of your own.
Have a family Build-Your-Own-Pizza night. Prepare several different topping ingredients and have everyone build their own custom pizza. (Don’t forget to have everyone chip in with cleaning up too.)
I hope these ideas have inspired you to spend more time having fun with your family (and on your own.) As you can see from these tips, it doesn't take a lot of money (or even any money at all) to have fun and build memories.
Having fun is not only pleasurable, it’s also important to our well-being. It connects us to the present moment, helps us decompress and allows us to enjoy our life journey instead of just rushing through it.
Because of the current economic downturn, money is especially tight for most people these days. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to have fun. Below is a list of 12 simple but wonderful ways that you and your family can have fun without straining your budget.
Have a “pretend” power outage--no lights, no TV and no computers (or other gadgets). Hang out in the kitchen together by candlelight. Nibble on some snacks. Tell stories or play some word games.
Visit you local library. There’s something there for everyone, no matter your age or interests.
Look through photo albums together and share the background stories behind the photos. If you have a backlog of loose photos that need to be put in albums, you can do that together too.
Watch old family movies or videos.
Play in the snow. Build a snowman or snow fortress with your kids. Then head back inside and make some hot cocoa with marshmallows.
Go for a walk in the rain. Grab a large umbrella, dress appropriately and then have a nice hot cup of tea or some soup afterward to chase away the chill.
Have a picnic at a local park or in your even in your own back yard. In the winter time, you can have the picnic indoors. Just spread a blanket on the family room floor. No ants, bees or mosquitos to deal with!
During dinner, ask each family member to talk about how their day was. Have them tell three things: one good thing that happened to them during the day, one bad thing that happened, and one new thing they learned. Talking about good things is always fun to share. Talking about something bad that may have happened provides an opportunity (especially for kids) to talk about things that may be bothering them and gives them a chance to feel supported and heard. Talking about something new they learned that day encourages curiosity and learning.
Just hang out and talk. Having some snacks and beverages on hand adds to the fun and helps keep the conversation going.
Play a board game.
Work on a jigsaw puzzle together.
Have a family arts-and-crafts night. You can work on a single project together or have everyone create their own unique masterpiece.
Although I’ve focused on ideas for families, many of these activities can be fun whether you have kids or not. Some of these can be done with just your spouse, a good friend, your dog/cat or even on your own. :-)
