Monday, August 18
- Scripture: Psalm 32:11 – “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!”
- Reflection: As we enter the final weeks of summer, we focus on learning to include fun and delight as part of every day in our lives. It doesn’t have to be a time set apart, like summer vacation, in order to be permissible. Again and again, scriptures integrate the self-care of recreation and rejoicing into our spiritual practices.
How do we give ourselves permission to have fun? As adults, sometimes we must learn again to relax and trust the beneficial aspects of playing games, laughing, and making recreation part of our self-care regimen. The writer Mike Rucker offers the following meditation on this topic (full article). “The first step to having more fun is to identify and challenge the limiting beliefs that might be holding you back from experiencing more fun – such as the idea that fun is frivolous or an unproductive use of time. … Reflect on the messages you’ve internalised: are they truly serving you? … if you’re engaged in an activity you enjoy and you catch yourself feeling uncomfortable about not checking your email, try unpacking that reaction … It might help to reframe fun as an opportunity for growth, a way to encourage a more positive outlook, and a way to find enjoyment in things you are already engaged in. Consider how fun experiences can help you develop new skills, learn more about yourself, and expand your horizons. Recognise that fun is not only about immediate pleasure, but also about creating lasting memories, building connections with others, and enhancing your overall quality of life.”
This practitioner advises, “Practise activity bundling. Do you … have limited available free time? If this is you, discover ways to combine activities to make them more enjoyable – taking full advantage of the time you do have under your control. By pairing routine tasks with things that make them more fun, you can transform mundane chores into engaging experiences. For example, you might listen to your favourite podcast while doing household chores … create a playlist of your favourite upbeat tunes to boost your mood as you clean or cook…. consider engaging in friendly competition with a family member to see who can complete a task … making the experience more enjoyable … through gamification.”
Rucker also recommends, “Spice things up with variety. Deliberately integrating new … experiences into your routine can keep life fresh … stimulates your brain … naturally sparking curiosity … encouraging non-linear thinking. … To fill free time, many of us turn to ‘passive’ leisure, such as mindlessly watching television or browsing social media. … actively engage your mind and body … One of the benefits of more active leisure is that you will tend to remember the experience in richer detail.”
Another approach includes, “Explore your options and commit to them.” In other words, actively seek out ideas for fiun activities and make sure to integrate them into your life. “When you proactively think about and create options for fun, you set yourself up for success … enhance your sense of autonomy and increase your choices … Begin by getting curious about the world around you, and exploring the multitude of options you have available for fun.”
We can integrate fun and play into our daily lives. It can be small experiences or big intentional plans we make. It can be spontaneous or scheduled. It can be social or private. Simply exercising that emotional-spiritual-pscyhological muscle builds our confidence and capacity to regularly allow delight and joy into our days. - Spiritual Practice Prompt: Pick a new game, skill, or experience you can include in your schedule this week. Nothing that demands ongoing commitment, but lets you sample something new and unusual. It can be simple: pluck out a tune on the keyboard or draw a simple sketch or read an article on a topic you’re curious about or listen to a song by a new musician. Include a friend or do it alone. Give yourself permission to explore fun and creativity! Include a lesson, or find a coach, or an online tutorial to guide you.
Song:
- “Shout” by The Isley Brothers: https://youtu.be/DPVf01jXL7M?si=u65G_Bk59qp6qnNH
Joy is the serious business of Heaven. ― C.S. Lewis
August 18 Daily Devotional