“In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” ~Gordon B. Hinckley
Dear Universe,
Sometimes you have to take the time to remind yourself that life’s a ball.
For these last several weekends I’ve been experiencing just that. Specifically, life’s a baseball, bowling ball and a basketball.
Let me explain.
Spring break was upon me. At first I didn’t think I would do much, but suddenly I found myself traveling. All it took was some planning, some agreeing and some spontaneity.
First stop: Florida. This was a no-brainer. Living in frosty New England, I was ready for some sun—and yes, even some humidity! Getting a chance to see The Boston Red Sox at a Spring Training game was an extra special treat. And when the crowd started to sing “Take Me out to the Ballgame,” I was so electrified to be standing in the middle of it all.
Sitting back and watching a ball game was the most relaxed I’d been in a while.
Next Stop: New York City. When the opportunity presented itself that I could attend the Big East Tournament Championship game, I thought why not?
It was a rainy day and the game wasn’t until that evening, so when I found myself at the bowling alley Lucky Strike, I thought to myself why not? I hadn’t been bowling in ages. Off came the high heels and on came my competitive side. In the end, I didn’t come out on top, but it didn’t matter. I laughed and jumped around, never paying attention to the score.
Hanging out and knocking down pins was the most lighthearted I’d been in a while.
Getting to the basketball game was a thrill. It was the first time for me to be at Madison Square Garden and the first time for me to witness a championship game. The crowd was electric, screaming for every shot like it was the final seconds, and more than once I found myself on my feet, cheering and clapping too—even though the team I was rooting for had been eliminated the night before. In the end, it didn’t matter.
Getting swept away in the excitement for the game, was the most carefree I’d been in a while.
Sometimes you have to take the time to remind yourself that life’s a ball. So often we get caught up in the daily routine and while our routine can be enjoyable and even offer glimmers of excitement, often it doesn’t.
Now and then it’s good to refocus your energies to bring some of the childlike enjoyment we all crave from time to time.
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
How to do that?
- Be led by wonder and welcome new adventures. Sometimes our favorite memories are the ones we never planned for, the ones that happened when we decided to just let go, go with the flow and be spontaneous.
- Be open-minded and say yes more often. It seems simple enough, but the next time you find yourself making excuses for why you can’t go somewhere new or don’t have time to try something new, just say yes. Yes opens doors of new opportunities; no doesn’t.
- Be positive and plan ahead. Is there somewhere you’ve always wanted to travel to? A class you’ve wanted to take? Or even a book you’ve been meaning to read? Sometimes we can’t just drop what we’re doing to make it happen and that’s understandable.
Most times you simply need to plan ahead for the thing you want. Whether that means setting aside time or setting aside money, make the commitment to make a plan and promise to stick to it. Believe it will happen.
Sometimes you have to take the time to remind yourself that life’s a ball.
Create the life you’re imagining. Make the experiences you’re dreaming of a reality.
Much Gratitude,
A
