Forgot how to have fun?

It’s Time to Put it Back on Your To-Do List!

Once you forget how to have fun, the rest of your life suffers. Think about it, when was the last time you had fun? I mean, the rip-snorting, laugh-so-hard-you-almost-pee-in-your-pants (or maybe you do) kind of fun. Can’t remember? I thought so.

Fun is grossly underrated.

We get so wrapped up in being serious. In being accountable. In doing all the things and collecting all the stuff, that we forget to have fun along the way.

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” – E.E. Cummings, poet

Having fun, by the way, is not correlated to having money. Many of us tell ourselves that it takes a fat wallet to have fun, but that’s just not the truth. I’ll bet some of the most fun times you had as a child didn’t cost any money. Mmm-hmmm. 

The idea that having fun is expensive is just baloney and an excuse to be a stuffy grown-up.

The truth is that if you set out to have more fun, you’ll have it.

Same concept as the law of attraction, when you focus your energy on having a good time, you’re much more likely to Have A Good Time!

“We’re all here for a spell, get all the good laughs you can.” – Will Rogers, writer

All work, no play, equals losing sight of the bigger picture.

Case in point: I’m in the middle of what online entrepreneurs call a “launch”. I created an online journaling workshop, which I totally believe in because my daily journaling practice has been completely transformative for me, and I’m now ready to share the knowledge and teach others how to do the same.

But launching the workshop has been stressful. I want to get the word out there, I want to share and teach what lessons I’ve learned, but to do so, I must let people know it’s available.

And in the process of marketing the course, I’ve gotten so zeroed in and focused on doing all the steps correctly, that I’ve lost sight of the fun. The fun and joy of sharing. The fun of creation. The fun and enjoyment of pushing myself to do new things. The fun and pleasure of meeting new people. The excitement, playfulness, and energetic boost from being helpful and serving.

I realized yesterday that I’d gotten so immersed in following the prescribed steps of a launch, that I forgot to look at the bigger picture and have fun with it. To be playful and joyful in the doing, and not so energetically absorbed with making things perfect, or with the results.

How to have fun? Schedule silliness!

Where in your day are you focusing on fun? How are you intentionally setting out to invite joy and laughter?

Do we need to literally set a timer and take a break from work and responsibilities to treat ourselves to fun? Maybe crack open a good old-fashioned joke book?! (Remember those?!)

“A good sense of humor can’t cure all ailments, but data is mounting about the positive things laughter can do. Like relieve stress, improve your immune system and relieve pain.” – The Mayo Clinic

Maybe reassess our Netflix queue to make sure we’ve slotted in lighthearted comedy. Or trade twenty minutes of the negative nightly news and political rhetoric for catching a rerun of I Love Lucy.

You get my point.

We can’t forget to have fun. The more the better. Fun, joy, laughter – they fuel us.

“Fun is good.” – Dr. Seuss, writer/illustrator

Fun shifts negativity up and away from our minds and hearts. It makes us FEEL GOOD.

And when we feel good, we feel more motivated and encouraged and confident about doing the not-so-fun things we have to do to live productive, healthy lives.

Fun equals mindfulness.

Plus, it’s impossible to not be in fully in the present moment when you’re genuinely having fun. No one is in the middle of rib-aching laughter and simultaneously worried about the mortgage or any other stress-inducing deadline in the future.

I encourage you to make more time for fun. Plan it. Seek it. Feed your mind, body, and spirit the joy that comes from playfulness.

“Enjoy life. There’s plenty of time to be dead.” – Hans Christian Anderson

As for me, I’m adding an alarm on my phone today for 3pm which I will label Dance Party. When the bell rings, I’ll turn on my fave music and enjoy the heck out of a five-minute solo dance party!  I’m confident that that following 55 minutes of that hour are going to be more productive, positive, happier, and more energized because of it.

When you’re old and sitting in a rocking chair, you not likely to fondly look back and recall all the errands you ran and the work you did, but you will feel grateful when you remember the fun.

Cheers to being more playful, to laughter, to loosening up and to not forgetting how to have fun each day! – Marlene

FREE AFFIRMATIONS DOWNLOAD

Looking for immediate inspiration to help you get your mind on your side and think more positively?

This free download will give you 11 simple but powerful affirmations to help you begin shifting your mindset away from from the negative self-talk. 

You will also receive a once-a-week blog post update and email alerts to keep in the loop on new stories, free challenges and offers.

Your email information will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.