Good Times Get You Through.

Dreamin’ – Hot Air Balloon Rides by stop.down

This past weekend a beloved family member passed away. While we knew she was ill since last January, it was still a tough process to go through. For me, many of my happier memories are what helped me get through the tough times.

Often we think of fun and joy as frivolous and silly. We may think there are more important things, like our job, our house, our children and our bodies. While these things are important, they mean little to nothing if not enjoyed.

If all we did was labor at work, toil at home, or slave on the treadmill, life would be a boring, dull wasteland. If not what we do in life, but how we do it that makes life worthwhile. Seeing someone die enforces this lesson like nothing else can.

Joy, laughter, and interesting, exciting activities are what make life good. Thinking back to all the happy times we had made the sadness of her loss easier to bear. It’s a vibrant reminder that life is in the little things. Those things we do each and every day.

Do you sing while you wash the dishes? Do you stargaze as you take out the trash? Do you share a joke or two each day at work? These are all opportunities to add fun and joy to your day.

Planning your fun is an important step in producing festive souvenirs of the past. Too often we think that fun is something that just happens. We think if we go to the amusement park, our joy will be unbounded. Then we arrive and find long lines or blistering heat and our expectations are dashed.

Fun doesn’t have to be all or nothing. A family gathering of pizza and board games on Friday night can be spontaneous and silly. A dinner out with friends can be an adventure when you experiment with different cultures and tastes. Fun comes in millions of shapes and forms, there’s something out there for everyone.

Happy memories and good times can be wonderful when they occur, but their true value is in remembered joy. When life throws us into turmoil, it can be those bright, shining recollections of more joyous moments that glimmer with a beacon of hope. Perhaps if those cheerful, fortunate times happened before, they can happen again.

The key is realizing that now is the time to build those indelible moments that will stand the test of time. Don’t let bills or financial worries keep you from your fun. A day at the park or beach can be just as playful as a stay at an amusement park. A cookie exchange where each person brings their own favorite can be a tasty and fun way to exchange recipes and have a good time.

There is no perfect way to have fun. Have an indoor picnic while you watch the snow fall outside. Have a movie theme night and play only Jack Nicholson or only comedy movies. Have a garden party and make delicious dishes from the vegetables. Whatever hobby or game you enjoy can make for a fantastic starting point to fun. And you can start this very day. Let go and enjoy – it’s what life is all about!

Healthy fun.

Isn’t it amazing that some of us need a prod to have fun? Why in the world should we need a push or a reminder to do things we enjoy? (Personally I’d rather get a good push on the swing set!) We need to stop believing that working harder equals doing better. We need to stop believing that if we’re enjoying ourselves we’re not really working. Some of these outdated beliefs come from our parents and grandparents. Others are passed on by society.

The world travels at such a fast pace, many of us have trouble keeping up. We feel compelled to have the newest gadgets, the latest products and to do something great, to be noticed. During all that hustle and bustle we get overworked and stressed. We forget that work and home and computers are just stuff. We forget to relax, play, smile and enjoy our journey.

Fun is healthy for us in so many ways. Fun activities often include movement, whether we’re playing a game of basketball with our kids, dancing to some music, or riding the Ferris wheel at the state fair. Fun also relieves stress. Science has proven over and over that laughter lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system and produces endorphins that elevate our mood. How much more incentive do we need?

Fun helps us mentally too. Experiments have proven that after viewing a funny movie we are more flexible and open to new ideas. We’re more likely to view circumstances in a positive light. Yet still we are held back by fear of being seen as foolish. As someone who has suffered that myself, let me reassure you. You will feel silly, stupid and like you’re wasting your time. People will tell you so. Don’t listen to them!

After consistently scheduling fun into my life and reading and learning about the many scientific benefits of laughter, positive thinking and an optimistic outlook, I can tell you I regret far more how long it took me to loosen up, than whether a few friends and relatives think I’m weird. Those people are usually much too serious themselves, and wouldn’t know a good time if it bit them on the butt.

Fun helps me every day to be grateful for what I have (and sometimes what I don’t). It enables me to enjoy a movie on a rainy day or my favorite CD in a traffic jam. It lets me celebrate every family get together, even if they only come every couple of years. Fun helps me savor my good times and reminds me that those bad days aren’t as numerous as I thought.

Fun is a great motivator too. Every time you have a chore you don’t want to do, or a job you don’t like, you can remember that 1 hour of cleaning now will give you 5 hours of free fun time this week. And that job you dislike pays for your action movies, concert tickets and new shoes. When you are aware of the numerous benefits of fun, I think you’ll begin to look for it and put more into your life.

Swingset soaring
Originally uploaded by khosey1