Have More Fun

tug of war Stop taking life so seriously. We are only here for a limited time, and none of us knows when our last day will be. What about the people you know whose life is cut short? The goal should be to have more fun while we are here. With this perspective the things you do every day are suddenly lighter. Your work is not as important as you think it is. Your responsibilities are not quite so heavy. Let’s look at some ways to lighten life and have more fun.

1. Spend time with people that make you laugh. When was the last time you laughed so hard that you could barely breath? Who are the people that bring that laughter out of you? How often do you get together with those people? Have you lost touch with any of them? Make it a point to reconnect with old friends. There’s nothing like getting together with people from high school or college and reliving past experiences. I did it recently and I laughed so hard that there were tears coming out of my eyes. Social media is nice but there’s no substitute for getting together.

2. Experiences over things—In western civilization we love to accumulate stuff. While nice clothes, big houses, and fancy cars are nice to have, experiences mean more. Buying the new outfit is great. Driving the new car off the lot can be rewarding but those feelings are short-lived. We need to keep buying things to maintain that high and at some point that high is no longer enough. Why not divert more of your resources to experiences? Booking a trip to the city in Europe you’ve always wanted to visit, taking your family to the Grand Canyon, or taking your loved ones on a cruise are all experiences that can fuel your passions and create wonderful memories. The happiest people are those that value experiences over things.

3. Unplug from daily life. We get sucked into the daily stresses and responsibilities that become our lives. It’s so important to disconnect. Having hobbies that take you away from the monotony is important. Meditation is the simplest way to disconnect. It can be 10 minutes a day of sitting quietly. The routine of clearing your mind can reduce the stress and help you refocus on what you enjoy. If meditation isn’t your thing, go for a walk in nature, watch the sunset or find an activity that creates an escape for you. Just be sure it’s something you can do daily.

4. Be less mature. Is it more fun being an adult or a kid? As we age most of us lose that childlike sense of wonder. We become more serious. I realize that we all have responsibilities and there are times when we need act as adults, but if we take the opportunity to let our guard down and tune into our inner-child, we will experience greater enjoyment and those around us will have more fun.

As I have said many times before, no one facing the end of life wishes they had been more serious along the way. They don’t regret not accumulating enough stuff. The regrets come from not pursuing dreams and not living life to its fullest. Now is the time to do something about it. Take every opportunity to have more fun.