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Posts tagged ‘Fun’

Reckless Ripples

“To frolic with the wind, and tease the sea.” — Lord Byron

“Ripples are made by those reckless enough to jump into the ocean.”― Michael Bassey Johnson, Before You Doubt Yourself

Frolic, play, fun.
Performance and production put aside.
Opinions and assumptions on a time out.
Lighten and loosen up.
Life is happening now in ordinary days.
Awaiting your attention, participation, partaking.
Simple acts, deep gratitude, easy smile.
Hold hands with awe and wonder.
Joy, laughter, delight too.
A leap away.

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Muddled, Messy, Unedited

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… Including you.” — Anne Lamott

“I’m not impressed by efficiency. That’s the truth.
And just because it’s quick, it doesn’t mean that it is masterly.
When it comes to poetry, I don’t think speed has ever really been the goal.
I think sometimes it takes ages
to find the right words for that small piece of your soul.
We are slowly mining language, searching for a gem.
And besides, everything I love is a little bit lumpy.
In this life, the things I most adore
are all so fabulously flawed:
The green corduroy coat, for example,
that patiently waits for winter in my hall—
the one that used to keep my mom warm, and now does the same for me,
with padding peeking out of the cuffs
and pockets clinging on for dear life;
Or the accidental butt-dial left by my friends—
the voicemail where I can hear them chanting for ABBA,
demanding one more song;
Or the dinner that’s burnt at the edges;
Or the apology typed mid-cry;
Or the way my trousers hug my belly;
Or texting, “Sorry, I forgot to reply.”
I really like—I love, actually—living in a way, in a place,
where nothing lines up quite right.
I want more of it. I want all of it:
The muddled. The messy.
The bits AI might edit out.
I am always going to opt for the higgledy-piggledy heartbeat,
the world with its cardigan on backwards,
covered in fingerprints, thumb-smudged, and warm.
I want an awkward pause.
I will choose the unedited pulse of things every single time.
The beauty of the almost,
the nearly there,
the not quite.
The things that remind me I am not sparkly or shiny,
or even really getting it right.
But I am.
We all are.
Undoubtedly alive.” – Georgie Jones

To an unedited, non-curated, honest, messy, fun day.
Steeped in the silly, ordinary, delight.
Flavors rising, colors deepening, light brightening.
The beauty of the almost and unfolding.
Undoubtedly alive and so much more than well.

 

Duty of Whimsy

“You must not ever stop being whimsical. And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.”― Mary Oliver, Wild Geese

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”― Mary Oliver

When, if, then
Falling into…
Now, here, presence

“Sometimes I need
only to stand
wherever I am
to be blessed.”― Mary Oliver, Evidence: Poems

Masters of Joy

“You may not agree, you may not care, but if you are holding this book you should know that of all the sights I love in this world — and there are plenty — very near the top of the list is this one: dogs without leashes.”― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems

“Or maybe it’s about the wonderful things that may happen if you break the ropes that are holding you.”― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs

Delight complete, begin again
In play
Rapt presence
Simple pleasures
Uncomplicated, undeterred, unwavering
Masters of joy
Teachers of fun and frolic
May I be a good student.

“We meet wonderful people, but lose them
in our busyness.
We’re, as the saying goes, all over the place.
Steadfastness, it seems,
is more about dogs than about us.
One of the reasons we love them so much.”
― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems

Expectancy in Daily Delights

“Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.”― Susan Sontag

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” — Michelangelo

Expectancy
Not expectations
A shift from defining, demanding, control, our way
Expectancy is a way of being, an approach
Wrapped in yielding, inviting, allowing, opening, mystery, unknowing
Widening the lens
Broadening the view
Possibilities, anticipation, hope,
Enthusiasm and joy
Woven in ordinary days, simple delights
Walk lighter
Play more
Cast light.

“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.” – Samuel Ullman

 

Hidden in Plain Sight

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”― Roald Dahl

May I see what’s hidden
In plain sight
Beauty
Fun
Peace
Delight
Joy
In abundance
Rooted in hope and anticipation
Found with curiosity
Fresh eyes, open heart.

“In all things lies a hidden wonder, a transcendent force that eludes the ordinary gaze. Only the conscious soul—awakened and willing to seek, daring to dive where most fear to tread—will uncover it.”― Blade Seventh

Sweet Moments, Simple Delights

“Gratitude makes sweet miracles of small moments.”― Mary Davis, Every Day Spirit: A Daybook of Wisdom, Joy and Peace

“Maybe it’s time to decide I am going to wake with joy and enthusiasm each morning and treat myself to simple delights that awaken my soul. Maybe it’s time to bust out of my field of habit and sail over the split rail fence of new beginnings.”― Mary Davis, Every Day Spirit: A Daybook of Wisdom, Joy and Peace

Joy and enthusiasm
Pauses and playgrounds
Hopping the split rail fences of new beginnings
We get to choose our mindset, daily
To steer the car
What we cling to and carry
What we let go and put down
Small offerings
Simple delights
The power of a smile
The lift of an encouraging word.

“It begins with the smallest offering of a smile or an encouraging word.”― Mary Davis, Every Day Spirit: A Daybook of Wisdom, Joy and Peace

Enjoyment, Try It

“You have gained a new source of enjoyment, and it is well to have as many holds upon happiness as possible.”― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

“We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,
but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have
the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless
furnace of this world. To make injustice the only
measure of our attention is to praise the Devil.”
― Jack Gilbert, Refusing Heaven

Risk delight
Play, lighten up, laugh
Have fun
Not platitudes or naïve
Daily practices
Ways to walk in the world
A skip in your step
To not succumb to chaos
Gloom and doom
A counterbalance
Resilience and resistance
Simple, doable, plentiful
Joy spilling into action
Action spilling into joy
Stubbornness to accept gladness
Cast light

“We classify too much and enjoy too little.”― Okakura Kakuzō, The Book of Tea

 

Let Us Dance

“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair…”― susan polis Schutz

“I do love the beginning of the summer hols,’ said Julian. They always seem to stretch out ahead for ages and ages.’

‘They go so nice and slowly at first,’ said Anne, his little sister. ‘Then they start to gallop.”― Enid Blyton, Five Go Off in a Caravan

Too cold, too hot
Too slow, too fast
Too much, too little
Measure, compare, grumble less
Invite, receive, open up to joy more
Summer’s call to presence, awe, life.
Dance.

“Some of the best memories are made in flip flops.”― Kellie Elmore

Three-Ball Day

“Dogs have the power to transform our lives, nurturing trust, ease, and new perspectives. They invite us to reconsider our ways of living and connecting with the world, offering a respite from the complexities of human social life.”― Erik Pevernagie

“Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun.” — Randy Pausch

Recess. Play. Fun.
Space. Margin. Blank Canvas.
Daily practice, commitment.
Power of frolic, ease, joy.
Lightness of spirit.
Make it a three-ball day.

“Being content is perhaps no less easy than playing the violin well: and requires no less practice.”― Alain de Botton