Fun First

It snowed about ten inches on Friday night. In the morning we woke up and decided to have "Fun first" before getting bogged down with shoveling out we got our cross-country ski's out and made our way across the street onto a trail. We shuffled and glided our way through fluffy white powdery goodness. Explored new trails in our new neck of the woods. Skied up the hill through apple orchards. Made the first tracks everywhere we went. A couple hours of this and we were on the street again and skied by a neighbor who was shoveling his driveway. He said, "Wow, that looks like fun!" I turned to my husband and said "Fun First!" with a smile. Then we turned down our street and by another neighbor also working on his driveway and a anonymous plower drove by and plowed the end of his driveway and then continued down the road and did ours and then waved and drove off. I thought,"this is what happens when we choose fun first. The universe is pleased and rewards us by showing us its abundant nature. The work gets done with ease."

It reminded me of years ago when I was experimenting with fun. I called it finding the Optimal Fun Factor or the O.F.F. I guided my decision making by what choice would provide me with the most fun. I stuck by this for a little while and then the age of responsibility kicked in as I progressed through my twenties. As time went on I stopped making fun first and started making responsibility first.

If we prioritize fun first we make sure we get it done everyday. It can be little acts of fun. To me fun first is starting my day with yoga or pranayama. Fun first could be doing some laughter therapy in the car. (it's really funny to fake laugh until you find yourself really truly laughing at yourself). It could be playing with crayons or markers, it could be going for a run, turning on some music and dancing around the living room, the possibilities are endless once you get started. We all have our own things that are fun to us.

Can you rearrange your day at all so the fun things can happen before the have to's? If you experiment with having fun first, that fun feeling of lightness and joy might just carry into your have to's. Go ahead....Have Fun!

Life is one of those rare occasions when having a good time is very important

I see this simple phrase on my refrigerator every morning and it has been a message that I try to live by. Ashleigh Brilliant, creator of Pot Shots postcards, wrote this simply "brilliant" message. Often we let distractions cloud our focus on this target. How often do you ask yourself:am I having a good time right now? Are my thoughts and feelings in tune with this message? Or is my self talk making my life un-fun right now? If you are not having a "good time", what are you going to do about it?

You can use this message as a starting point for investigation. Ask what can be done to change the way you are feeling. This can be as subtle as asking: What would it feel like if I simply smile? By aligning ourselves to this phrase, we can identify the parts of our lives that have yet not reached their ultimate potential. Some might be thinking, there are things in my life that are not "good times" I just have to suffer through them. I can't just quit my job, if I do that I won't be able to eat, I'll lose my house, I won't be able to provide shelter for myself. I need to feel safe and secure so I must sacrifice something. However, going through life repeating to yourself "I hate my job, I can't wait for today to end, I can't wait for the weekend," will not cultivate a life of having a good time.

During our asana or yoga posture practice we can "practice" the skill of making the hard soft. When I am muscling through a warrior pose or high plank feelings rush through my mind that do not always align with "good times". But there are a few lessons we learn by holding through these poses. First, we are not going to hold them forever, this work will end. Second, we realize the strength of our will and intention. Third, we have our breath to steady and calm the mind. Then if we can remember the advanced version of the pose is to smile, we can find the "good times" even when the work gets harder. When we leave the mat we can take these lessons with us. My will and body are strong. I can breathe. I can smile. This too shall pass.

As these lessons are cultivated, the messages we tell ourselves can replace our self talk that tells us we can't make it, or I can't wait until this is over and life feels better. Try it right now. Think about something you want for yourself. Maybe it's something like a new job. Feel what it is like to want it. Truly deep wanting. Think about how good it would feel to attain that. Now shift your feelings. What if you tell yourself: "I will never have that, I don't deserve it, it could hurt to have that because what if I lose it?" Notice how different you immediately feel. It does not feel like "having a good time". Now again, shift your thinking. How does it feel if you believe in yourself? Tell yourself: I have work I truly love, my work is important, I love the people I work with. Immediately your heart feels softer, you are excited about the potential for change. It feels like life is having a good time again. Try this with other things you want in your life, the universe is abundant. It has no limits.

It's so simple, yet easy to forget, that in order for our lives to reach their ultimate potential, we can simply change our thoughts. We can smile, we can breathe and we can believe in the strength of our will or intention. Life can become brilliant.