Why Aren’t You Having Any Fun?
We work so much and we are always busy, overwhelmed, and plugged in. We feel guilty if we don’t respond within minutes to a constant incoming stream of pinging emails. And no matter how many we answer and delete, the count keeps getting higher. My inbox currently has 1734 emails that need some sort of attention…sometime. What about yours?
Enough of this insanity! How can we break the cycle and do what we are supposed to be doing with this life—enjoying the process? I bet you know this already. I bet you know you are working too hard for too little pleasure.
Guy Wehman is one of the radio hosts whom I speak with regularly. Guy says that he put tens of thousands of miles on his motorcycle because once he gets on it he never thinks about the destination, he only thinks about enjoying the ride. I love that visual reference.
How can you get on your (imaginary) motorcycle and enjoy the ride more?
Stop what you are doing and let’s think about this for a moment.
This past weekend, I celebrated my 50th birthday. I’ve never thrown myself a party and I don’t like overindulgence or spending frivolously. But something changed a few months ago as I was reaching this big milestone. I not only realized that time is precious—I felt it, deep inside. There was a girl who wanted to come out and play and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, I let her.
First, I popped the cork of a 1998 Dom Perignon that I received in 2006 after I sold my company. I had waited eight years for that special moment! As they said in the movie Sideways, the special moment is when you open the bottle. I shared it with close friends and loved every drop.
Then, I stepped into my glamor birthday party that took place in a banquet room at a classic Hollywood-style Hotel. I had organized the decor and lighting, hired a caterer and got a cake. There were flowers, a red carpet, a step and repeat backdrop with my name on it, and (of course) a professional photographer. I got a room and stayed overnight, too. Friends flew in from Colorado, Washington State, and even Germany to be there to celebrate with me. I felt like a princess (just take a look at the picture).
Did I want to spend the money? Of course not. Did I have time to organize and plan my party? Absolutely not. Did my guests and I enjoy the party? Yes, we definitely did.
And that is my message to you today. Let’s start enjoying the big ride now. Some of my suggestions for you are here.
When we stop for just that one moment, things come into focus. We should spend more time with our friends, we should make more time for our partner, we should take that trip, make that phone call, and start crossing things of our bucket list. We know this, so what hinders us from actually doing it?
The excuses you say and hear revolve around too little time or money, and too many other obligations. My advice? When you hear that voice inside your head say, “I should do that”—please schedule that right away. Put it in your calendar, or even better, pick up the phone and book it. Just do it this time. You are so worth it.
What a wonderful message! I had checked out from social media for a bit, so I missed the big event. Happy belated birthday. Congratulations on celebrating you and doing it the way you wanted to. This post depicts a similar message that I try to promote on my blogs…slow down and enjoy the experience.
Well said!
xoxo
Always wonderful to hear from you Christine!