Day 3
1/3/17
Today, I will focus on the most common missing ingredient from our lives: FUN. As we commence in our deeper, more reflective, more grounded and mission-oriented agenda for 2017, we must remember to incorporate fun.
Stemming off from my rant in the last post, we work way too much and put too much pressure on ourselves in today’s society. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a certain ‘status’ and image, and partake in some sort of ‘race’ to success, economic or otherwise. But let me ask you this: is it a moot point when the meaning behind all the doing becomes irrelevant? At the end of the day, does your success in managing to check off tasks really matter?
As humans, we are drawn to pleasure, and away from danger. Our ancestors managed to survive against all odds and threats from saber tooth tigers, natural disasters, and competitors. They also managed to procreate. Incidentally, nature designed that act to be pleasurable so that species would instinctually pass on descendants.
So, really, it’s a simple concept: life without fun is no way to live. Without having fun and pleasure on a daily basis, all of our hard work becomes meaningless. The days become a gray, dreary, depressing blur, and we lose sight of the big picture.
Recently I’ve began a little self-experiment, and consciously added more fun into my own life. I began to schedule in activities that are pleasurable and of interest to me, regardless of whether or not they are the most productive. I allow myself to read fiction in between my studies and ‘work-related’ reading. I schedule time to take interesting and stimulating exercise classes. I take baths and watch movies, sometimes.
In fact, I’ve done many of these things in my lifetime, but my perspective on them shifted completely. I used to feel guilty and want to punish myself when I would engage in activities that weren’t directly ‘productive’ to my self-growth. Now I realize that engaging in what is pleasurable is directly productive to getting self-insightmy. It gives meaning to my life, puts a smile on my face, and eases my stress levels. I know that taking this ‘me-time’ is extremely important and vital to my sanity and my personal happiness.
