Do you feel like life is just passing you by?
That you’re just going through the motions, filling your days with activity but never feeling fully alive?
Do you wish life was more fun?
If you do, you’re not alone. It’s all too easy, in a life filled with family responsibilities, work deadlines, and volunteer obligations, to spend most of our time doing things we don’t particularly enjoy.
But what can we do about it?
Start by taking a trip down memory lane.
Think back to when you were a kid. What did you enjoy doing when you were ten or twelve? Notice the first thing that comes to your mind, but don’t stop there. Dig into the memories a little deeper. What would you get lost in for hours at a time? What would you look forward to doing the moment you were free from school? When would you happily keep doing all night if your parents didn’t insist you go to bed?
Do you still do those things now? Because if you don’t, you might be missing out on some things that would bring joy to your boring, grownup life.
Let me show you what I mean.
When I was a kid I loved:
- Building things – Erecting blanket forts, creating structures out of Tinkertoys or Legos, and constructing rock-and-mud dams on the stream behind our house.
- Baking – I learned to make cookies while standing on a chair so I could reach the counter. I’ve loved baking things ever since.
- Making things – I was never much of an artist, but I loved craft kits and building model sailing ships. I even enjoyed making shoebox dioramas for school.
- Spending time in the woods – Exploring, making paths, climbing trees, camping with friends and family, or simply wading down a stream.
- Playing games – Everything from solitaire to board games to active games like tag, badminton or softball.
- Organizing shows – My long-suffering parents, and often the neighbors, were forced to sit through many grand productions, from circus acts to parodies of news broadcasts. All conceived, scripted and directed by yours truly.
- Reading – Perhaps the greatest indulgence of all (in my ten-year-old opinion) was stretching out on the chaise lounge on a summer day with a glass of Lemon Blend and a good book.
Why am I subjecting you to this list? Because the “real Lisa” still loves those things. Not the specifics, necessarily (I don’t think my rotator cuffs are up to tree-climbing) but I still enjoy those types of activities, and I’m sure those of you who know me now can see how these childhood passions relate to the kinds of things I’m involved in today.
However…
There are things on this list that I haven’t done in quite a while. For example, I haven’t made a scrapbook page or woven a basket in two or three years. Shame on me! It’s time I exerted a little energy (and planning) to get my butt out of my rut and reconnect with those hobbies. Not only would I be a happier person if I did, but I would be filling up my creativity tank in the process, which would pay dividends when I next sat down to write.
Your turn
If you are feeling like your life is lacking joy, returning to the kind of things you loved as a child might be exactly what you need.
An example: Many adults are rediscovering their love or coloring, due to some clever artists who have come out with grown-up coloring books full of intricate designs. And people are buying them in droves. Why?
As illustrator Johanna Basford explained in a in USA Today article, “Some people have stories about how coloring has played a part in certain stages of their life, whether that be an investment banker de-stressing on his lunch break, a busy mum taking an hour to herself in the evening or a cancer patient keeping their hands busy during chemo. … The stories I receive are astonishing and so touching.”
Maybe, like me, coloring isn’t your thing. But something is. So figure out what it is, then DO IT!
