Are you having fun yet?

I just came back from a day filled with laugh out loud moments, excitement and shear joy with a group of 50 other people.  We all  had lunch together and all we did is laugh and have fun.  My daughter and I joined a club when we moved to Florida because we wanted to meet people and have fun.  We work very long hours, very often 7 days a week and we realized that we needed an outlet.  We have done that for years so we decided that we were ready to bring more balance into our lives. 

I hope you feel the same.  All work and no play make a person and their life most boring.  With our change from one coast to another, one of my requirements was to bring laughter and joy back into my life.  It most definitely takes planning and it also requires focus and a positive objective but above all, it requires you to set the right intention.

My intention was to step out of my comfort zone and mark off time in my appointment book that says— “me time.”  If you have a similar goal, then try my approach because it really works.  Whether you take an afternoon off for visiting a new place or simply taking the time to sit down and read a good book, the idea is that you are doing something for yourself.  Planning an activity that pleases you and brings laughter and joy back into your life is the goal. 

I have met many different people in various age groups who are seeking friendships but don’t know how to get started. Their lives are routine and mundane and too often they fall into a rut that spirals them even further into discontent.  Carlos Castaneda said:  “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves happy.  The amount of work is the same.”  I am all for making myself happy, so let’s begin right now and create a shift in our energy.

 I am about to give you some of my thoughts and ideas and hope that you will take advantage of at least one of them for yourself.  Try one new thing in your life right now.  I am sure with time, you will be looking for more ideas and opportunities to help you build on your joy.

1.  Many people volunteer and make it their way of meeting new friends.  If that makes you happy, research the perfect place where you feel that you would not only fit in but also enjoy the interaction with others.  Volunteering often feeds the soul and is a springboard for other opportunities.

2.  Join a club---Golf – boating –  tennis  --These facilities attract people of all ages  who want to have fun and enjoy a good time.  We joined a boating club and our boat is a kayak.  But that has not prevented us from meeting some interesting and fun-centered people.

3.  Traveling or a travel club can be entertaining and adventurous at the same time.  Some people I know take some wonderful amateur pictures of places that they have visited and then share them with others.  Meeting people with similar interests is rewarding and fulfilling. 

4.  Art and comedy clubs are plentiful in most cities.  We recently went to a concert hosted in someone’s home.  It was a wonderful experience and from that evening I met someone who is a member of a musical society and invited us to come and check it out.

When you do something special and different for yourself, you up-lift your energy field and release endorphins in the body that allows you to reduce pain and feel exhilarated.  When you are focusing on fun and pleasurable things, your energy shifts, you feel better and life is good.  I am suggesting that you need to bring more fun back into your life.  Fun is healthy—refreshing and above all therapeutic. 

Joan Marie Ambrose

Author, Creative Writer, Motivational Speaker