Life is for living…
Not just existing…
I knew this – but somehow, I’d fallen into a rut.
Remember that saying –
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
There’s a lot of truth in that old adage.
I’m not saying that work isn’t important. On the contrary, work is meaningful and significant. BUT – if we’re not careful, we can be bogged down by all those responsibilities.
Play on the other hand, tends to get overlooked. It’s the first thing we cut from our schedules because we’re grown-ups and we do grown-up things and grown-ups tend to sacrifice the fun things… And we pay the price:
Stress
Fatigue
Unhappiness
I understood the principle of play as a kid. I worked (chores). I played and if I could, I played as I worked. My days were filled with laughter and adventures. Life was good.
Then – something awful happened. I grew up. I forgot the secrets of my youth – when anything and everything was possible. Play became a nice-ity not a necessity. STRESS became my constant companion and the truth of the matter is this – it was no one’s fault but my own.
I’ve learned that I have to take care of me.
I write.
I get off the highways and drive the back roads.
I plan day trips and/or weekend excursions. (They don’t have to be expensive – but it is amazing how having something to look forward to can improve your outlook.)
Saturday cleaning? Gone the way of the do-do bird. Thursday nights work just as good and my weekends are free!
In short, I’m learning (it’s a daily thing) that kids have it right. Playtime may be the most important time of the day!
So what about you? What do you do to let go of the stress and reclaim the joy in your life?
dsmcknight.com 
Like DSMcKnight says – children have it right – playtime is the most important. As a child I spent my time (when not in school) roaming the beach with my dog, pretending I was a pirate, running up and down the sand dunes. During my adult life I have been responsible and productive, making time for everyone but myself. Now, I’,m at retirement age and I’m back to roaming the beach with my dog, pretending I’m a pirate, a child, a lover, a victim, a nefarious scoundrel – I still make time for the people I love, but their lives do not consume me as they once did when I was their mother or wife. I appreciate the gifts I’ve been given and appreciate the time I now have for me.
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I think that’s the key – appreciating the time we have – and filling it with the things that make us happy. It’s so easy to waste away an evening in front of the computer or television -just vegging out. But if that’s all we do, then we aren’t recharging our batteries.
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