Lately I’ve been obsessing over staying in alignment with what I’m “supposed” to be doing. I’ve caused myself unnecessary stress over what to do and how to do it, and almost forcing myself to tackle things I’m just not ready for. One thing I’m learning is, you can’t force creativity. It must always flow. If it’s not flowing in the direction you think it “should” be flowing in, don’t force it. Simply pray and go in the direction your heart is tugging.
I put “supposed” and “should” in quotation marks because it’s very easy to get caught up in judgments. Many times, while trying to live a life of purpose, we burden ourselves with too many “shoulds” and “supposed tos”. That sucks all the fun out of being positive! Isn’t positivity supposed to be a good thing? How can we shift to the good side of life with this huge cloud of judgment over our heads?
The beauty of nonjudgment is you are perfect just where you are. I hear my spiritual life coach say this all the time. I am grateful that she constantly repeats it because I certainly need the constant reminders. There is always a lesson and opportunity for growth no matter where you are in life or what you are doing with it. That is why the judgment of what we “should” and “shouldn’t” be doing is totally irrelevant.
For example: I thought I was “supposed” to write about letting go and letting God. Every time I tried to write about it I got stopped in my tracks. I would get frustrated about editing and content and eventually just put it away. I spent my time surfing the net about natural hair because I am currently transitioning from relaxed to natural hair. Right now, any and everything about natural hair care products, styles, salons, issues, etc. are of great interest to me.
I kept telling myself I would go back to writing about letting things go because I was “supposed” to. But then it hit me…. I’m “supposed” to do what makes me feel good! Every time I even thought about looking at the words “let it go” I would cringe. So why force myself to do something that makes me cringe? Writing is supposed to be a pleasurable experience for me, allowing me to express my creativity and ingest life lessons. When I begin to dread it, I notice a void. At that point I know it’s time to insert some God.
God is FUN! Contrary to popular belief, God wants us to experience life with high levels of joy, love and peace. When those elements start to slip away, it’s time to learn the lessons that lovingly replaced them and start moving back toward our bliss. Maybe I wasn’t ready to write about letting things go because I’m still struggling with that concept. And THAT’S OK! Or maybe my interest was diverted to researching natural hair because in order to fully let things go, I must first be able to accept what is, and embracing my natural hair certainly brings that out!
Learning to just be OK with whatever funky mood I was in, allowed the pleasure and fun of my current interest to just flow in and take over. Additionally, remembering to include fun into every aspect of my purposeful living simply makes life a lot more enjoyable. It’s all a beautiful process, unfolding as I move forward. The funny part is, this “lesson of the week” is actually helping me learn to let things go and stay in the flow!
Tips For Infusing Fun Into Your Work Life:
– If you are currently living a life of positivity, passion and purpose, don’t let the responsibility of upholding a certain standard drag you down. Don’t take the joy and fun out of passion and purpose. The reason to live a life of passion and purpose is to be completely fulfilled. How can you be fulfilled if you’ve eliminated the joy and fun for the sake of responsibility? Leave the “shoulds” at home…. Well, not at home…. Leave them somewhere far away from you. Embrace whatever tugs at your heartstrings for the moment.
Example: If you are an entrepreneur with a full agenda for the day, but your heart is telling you to go swimming…. Do it! There may be a lesson in the pool of embracing total freedom – float on your back and embrace the feeling of being totally surrounded and supported by water. God wants to remind us that he protects us exactly like this, and we must embrace our freedom in order to fully experience it. Or maybe Spirit wants to teach you perseverance – swim from one end of the pool to the other. Your body may resist, but you’ll be so proud of yourself for sticking it out and making it to the end.
These kinds of lessons can help you carry out all of your desired tasks with more excellence. You could even meet a fellow swimmer there with the skills to offer the help you’ve been praying for. The possibilities are endless. The point is, our bodies and inner spirits always speak to us. It is our job to listen and then follow. As soon as I chose to write about my hair journey I started to get that “butterflies in my stomach” feeling that let me know I was on the right path. It felt so good to know I was still on purpose, while doing what I wanted, feeling good about it, and HAVING FUN!
– If you are not currently living your passion but want to, make sure you take some time during the day to give yourself a dose of medicine. Your passion is your medicine. Have you ever noticed that delving into your passion after a busy day relieves stress? A dose of passion a day keeps the doctor away! It’s real! The more bliss you add to your life, the better it gets.
Ways To Have Fun:
– Incorporate your PASSION into everyday life. When you focus on your passion, it turns “work” into an extension of your creativity. It’s an automatic insertion of excitement, adventure and fun. Even if all you do is research how to make your passion your living. Trust me, you’ll have fun thinking of the possibilities and striving to make them happen.
– Lisa Nichols, author of “No Matter What!” and star of “The Secret”, teaches that it is our responsibility to luxuriate, leisure, and love ourselves on a regular basis. She says we must serve from our overflow. We must fill ourselves with so much self-love and care that we serve, not from what we give ourselves, but from the overflow that spills out from us. She gives the example of serving from your saucer, not your cup. When you think about it, the cup’s purpose is to be filled and then to give. The purpose of the saucer is to catch the overflow. How many times do we try to do for others without filling ourselves first? It’s like giving someone an empty cup! We must learn to treat ourselves, love ourselves, care for ourselves, pamper ourselves, fill our bodies and souls with so much love, care and affection that we are not giving of our own self-love, but from the overflow. That is SO beautiful! How much fun would it be to indulge in the OVER-filling of extreme self-love and care?
– LAUGH and have a GREAT time! I have a hearty, fall over, tears coming out of my eyes laugh at least once a day. I LOVE to laugh, so I do it quite often. Sometimes when I get tired, I get delirious, so it’s easy to have a huge laugh. Inserting random joy can relieve so much heaviness and stress from the day. Watch a comedy. Do something silly, just for the hell of it.
– DANCE to your favorite music. Turn up your music while you’re working and GROOVE through your day. Be sure to tap into those really GOOD feelings at least once a day, but try for more. Give life and joy to mundane experiences.
– Follow your bliss. Experiencing bliss takes those good feelings to the next level. When you get those butterflies in your stomach, can’t get enough of it, nothing could be better than this in the world feeling…. Go with it! God created good times and great feelings! Why not experience ALL of life. That’s my motto. I want a better quality of life because I’ve had my share of less than desirable experiences. I’m ready to experience ALL of the wonderful feelings and things life has to offer! That includes the best of the best of everything! Why shouldn’t I experience the best and FEEL the best I can feel? I deserve it! God created me and He created those things, so why should I deprive myself? They are here for me to experience, so BRING THEM ON… Excuse me, I got a little carried away, lol…. Just tap into whatever makes you feel AMAZING!
Remember, through it all, there is a lesson in absolutely everything. Accept and love exactly where you are. Be grateful. Don’t get weighed down by the responsibility of staying positive and on purpose. Make any and every situation as FUN as possible!
Don’t forget to HAVE FUN today!
Share your thoughts in the comments: What are some of your favorite ways to have fun?
Peace, Love & FUN!
~Alexis~
I LOVE this Alexis! Wonderful and so inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ingrid!