We’re Having Fun Now!

When you think of having fun what comes to mind?

Typically fun is associated with relaxation and recreation (re-creation). For most people, having fun means being on vacation, perhaps at the beach or on a cruise, or having a drink with friends, or being at a sporting event. Fun is defined by being kicked-back with nothing to do and no responsibilities.

While this kind of re-creation is indeed fun and incredibly important for recharging our positive anabolic batteries, when fun is so narrowly defined, most of life is spent not having fun.

What if you were to broaden and expand your definition of fun? What if you began to include what you’re doing?

Fun is laughing so hard you cry, being with friends and family, and feeling free, but it’s also solving problems, achieving a goal, being engaged in the task at hand, and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Fun is pushing yourself to and past your limits, knowing you gave something your all, reaching out to help another, and shifting how you think about a situation, person, or event.

Fun is pursuing things you’re passionate about, embracing who you truly are, learning from experiences that many might call mistakes, and being aligned with your core values.

Fun is taking responsibility for everything in your life, is quiet moments of meditation and appreciation, and is striving for excellence.

Fun is repairing damaged relationships, admitting when you’re wrong or don’t have all the answers, and is striving to be the best possible version of you.

Fun is taking life as it comes, focusing more on where you are than on your future destination, and making decisions that move you towards your ultimate goal.

Fun is seeing the opportunities in every moment, cultivating a belief that everything is always working out for you, and enjoying the heck out of the ride that is life.

How can you broaden your definition of fun to include what you’re doing? How much does that increase the amount of fun you’re having? How might that impact your life?

Together we can do it!

Photo by worradmu / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Open Your Heart to Wellness

I know what it feels like to shut my heart to someone because they are not behaving as I think they should.

Withholding love is a very common reaction when people are not living up to the standards we have set.

This could range from a lover choosing to spend time with friends instead of with you, to someone committing a terrible crime.

When someone does not live up to our or society’s rules, we feel justified in judging them as unworthy of our love. This is one way that we “punish” them.

But shutting our hearts down—even for the best of reasons—does not actually punish the other person as we think it does—and it is far more detrimental to us.

The catabolic reactions are felt in our bodies, not theirs. These are the draining and destructive body processes—such as the release of stress hormones—that actually eat away at our cells.

This is why practicing forgiveness and unconditional love is so powerful. By allowing ourselves to give love—no matter what—we are providing ourselves with constructive, anabolic energy that actually heals us from the inside out.

Withholding love is something we learned—it is not our natural way of being. Look at the love and joy that flows through little children. But almost from day one, we begin giving children the lesson that if they behave in a certain way, they will make us happy and we will then love them. It doesn’t take long for children to learn that control is a part of love.

Begin to notice when you are shutting your heart down. Pay attention to how uncomfortable that feels. Recognize that it’s up to you to change your reaction—it is not up to the other person to change their behavior.

Where people often get stuck is feeling like loving someone anyway is the same as condoning that awful behavior. This is where it is helpful to remember that the Universe (God, Higher Power, All-That-Is–whatever works for you), is involved in that other person’s life, too, and that each of you is receiving guidance. Your job is to pay attention to your reactions and move towards the bigger part of you. Your guidance will always lead you to the best outcome for you.

Where in your life are you withholding love? What can you do today to open that door in your heart just a little bit? Notice how much better that feels.

Together we can do it!

 

Photo by graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net