Enjoying Life

I'm not quite sure where we got the idea that we're not allowed to enjoy life, to have a good time, to look after our own spirits.

Enjoying ourselves is crucial to being able to cope with the things life throws our way.  When we take time for ourselves, our emotional tanks are kept at "Full."  We can appreciate more fully the good things in our lives, and we can cope better with the body-blows life throws at us.  All by doing what we love to do and not letting the urgencies of life fritter away at our peace of mind.

Whether it's getting outdoors and being active, curling up with a good book, gathering with your friends, or listening to music, the human spirit responds quite well to care and nurturing.

I think that our life-long focus on productivity, while it has its place, can get in the way of us living our lives.  Taking an hour to do something we love to do needn't be cause for guilt.  Rather, it can be a reason to celebrate, and often can enrich the lives of others around us.  After all, when we're in a good mood, don't people like being around us?  Happiness and contentment are contagious!

Guess what happens to dishes that don't get washed or beds that don't get made?  They stay exactly where they are, and they don't go anywhere.  

When I get to the end of my life, I don't think I'll be obsessing about how often I did or didn't do the laundry.  Or whether I spent enough time at the office.  What I'll be thinking about will be the moments that I have spent with my family and friends, making memories with them, singing songs with them, and enjoying their presence.  And I'm the kind of person that can't enjoy someone else's presence until and unless I'm comfortable in my own presence.  

Which is why I guess I was so unhappy for such a long time.  

Now, things are different.  I take the time to look after myself, to allow myself some recreation, and to spend time with people I care about and who care about me.  I'm learning how to have fun, to lighten up, to laugh once in a while.  After decades being serious enough to make up for everyone else's frivolity, I'm learning to let go of my oppressive killjoy attitude, and to enjoy my life.  I can barely believe this, the life I now have compared to a couple of years ago.  

I wouldn't trade it for anything.