Three-day weekends are something to appreciate. It is summer time so that means playing, reading some good novels, road trips, and enjoying nature. Today I am going to practice at the golf course so I can improve my shots. This is one kind of practice I never get tired of because it is just so much fun for me. Why it is so enjoyable to me I am unsure but it is. I feel the same about playing ping pong, going to a bookstore, doing artwork, reading inspirational books, indoors badminton, listening to my Shuffle and singing along, having meaningful conversations, having time to myself to just do what I feel like doing, walks in nature, a nice massage, eating good food and more.
What are your favorite things to do for fun and leisure? Is summer you favorite time to play too? What fun plans do you have in the next few months?
Having a good life is what it is about, isn’t it. That good life is something you and I define on our own. No one but us can know what feels right, what energizes us, and makes us feel most alive. This season is the time to tune in again to what creates a buzz for life in you. Take some time to play around and explore what feels right and makes you feel most alive.
What makes activities enjoyable? As I was thinking about the above ideas I wondered if there was a common thread? I know that if I am fully present to what I am doing these activities are the most fun and satisfying.
Golf for example is a very Zen practice. I have to be fully present to each shot or my play falters. I need to constantly work on non-attachment to results. If I hit a shot that goes off course then I must be free of any frustration when I hit again or I may hit poorly. If I am attached to how good each shot is the game will become less enjoyable. I often find golf to be a humbling experience, as do even the best golfers. Humbleness is a positive quality and having more of is beneficial.
Other activities like doing artwork and playing music aren’t a challenge to being fully present because they are so engrossing. Even a trip to the library or bookstore has me fully engaged in the moment of searching for the next good read. Cooking a tasty meal keeps me fully focused on making everything turn out just right and my mind and heart are fully into the process. As I wrote this I got an insight, which is that things we do fully present that have heart feel positive. Let me restate that: if my heart is fully engaged in the moment in what I am doing, joy and bliss are possible.
Why would my heart be engaged in golf, ping-pong or other physical activities? I am writing this in the moment and am still trying to figure out my answer to this question. If I am engaged in physical activities that get my heart going then it is easy to explain my heart’s part. If I love what I do then my heart is engaged also. But what is there to love about chasing a ball around a green surface whether it is a golf course or a ping-pong table? I am not sure except I am fully present in mind and body doing something that takes a relaxed intensity. Maybe the relaxed intensity is a key to enjoying what I am doing?
There are further questions here, which I will continue to explore. I will let you know what I learn. If you have any insights about this topic of having fun, please leave a comment below.