FUN FIRST!
There’s the saying “Work first, then play.” In our world work doesn’t end, it just cycles. Breakfast, tidy up, lunches, dishes, laundry, house cleaning, homework, dinners, showers, sleep. Office jobs don’t ever end either, once a task is done, ten more crop up, like weeds. Vacations and bucket lists, usually extravagant trips to remote locations, but now we have Covid and restrictions. All those pails are staying put, too.
A friend’s generosity, triggered a new line of thinking. FUN FIRST! After all, the work will always get done, eventually. Assuming you’re responsible, of course. One of my many blessings this week was a piano. Always wanting to play, I was ecstatic when my friend, who was converting their music room into an office, offered hers up.
Every time I see the instrument in our home, my heart does cartwheels. Having no idea how to play or read music, I am over the moon at progressing onto page forty-six of my daughter’s kiddie music book in just a week.
My friend’s gift made me realize something. Fun is worth having first! Do I still clean the kitchen? Yes, but now I prioritize joy.
Having many hobbies is nice. Many times, though, some of them gather dust while busy lives take over. Playing piano is easy because it requires zero set up and zero clean up. I can start and stop anytime. A privilege compared to painting where I needed to lay down a tarp, paint and then clean everything up, occasionally, having my paint dry out if I got pulled away from it for some reason or another.
Will I discontinue my other interests? Not at all. But with us still in unpacking and in minimizing mode, school starting with all it’s brick and mortar versus virtual unknowns, we have more than enough to fill our days with “work.” I consider it highly fortunate that I now have something I can enjoy and provides stress relief. The biggest lesson, though, wasn’t learning to read music notes, it was realizing we all need to find a FUN specialty that is easy and can be done everyday.
Not everyone can have or wants an instrument. Find your own special interest and make it a priority. Sometimes I play before I work. Other times playing is my reward after a tedious task. It motivates me and makes me look forward to completing my assignment.
An added benefit is the creativity triggered in the lull that comes from getting lost in something enjoyable. Whether it’s coloring or listening to music, I encourage you to find something amazing and start doing it.
Living in the moment is what life is all about. Easy and fun. They are out there. Go get ‘em!
#happiness #determination #trust #writer #writingcommunity #joy #writers #writerslife #piano