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Financial Journey
(featured column)
Invite
Fun into Your Life, Even During the Challenging Times
by
Karen Kuebler
Many folks are
currently facing extraordinary financial challenges. For some, the results have
been devastating while for others it is requiring tightening the spending belt
several notches. Even though people are being affected on different levels,
there is a proven trend toward decreased consumer spending. More...
This month I would like to focus on having some fun during
these tough times! Many articles, including ones that I have written in the past
several months, deal with ways to get through the bleak state of our economy. I
want to talk about simply
having some plain old fun. One thing is a certainty. No matter what the
state of our economy happens to be at any given time, life is always going to
throw curve balls and we will all have challenges to face throughout our lives.
The key is to learn to reframe how we view and deal with
challenges in our life. We can choose to be miserable and gloomy, or we can
choose to make the best of the time we have and spend it in ways that invite joy
into our lives and surroundings. Not only can we improve the quality of our own
life, but we can have a positive impact on the quality of life of our friends
and family by demonstrating a positive and upbeat attitude toward our
circumstances, whatever they might be.
I’m writing this article as much for myself as I am for our
readers. I’ve been faced with an unusually high variety of serious hardships
during the past several years. If I spend my time indulging in ‘pity
parties’ I am afraid I will have one very long, dreary party that might not
end! I’ve developed a new mantra that helps me accept my current
circumstances: "It is
what it is." And it is really that simple. So, while life keeps
dealing our individual hands of cards, let’s have some fun from day to day.
 | Brainstorm
with family and friends and develop a long list of activities you enjoy. I
will make suggestions, but these are things I enjoy and may not fit your
list. It is important to have your own list of pursuits, hobbies, and
leisurely interests to draw from. |
| Mark
as many days and/or evenings in your calendar to do something fun as time
will allow. The more hours you spend in enjoyable endeavors, the less time
you have to feel gloomy or invite negative thinking into your life. |
| When
you are involved in activities you are enjoying, you are living in the
"present" moment. This is really the only time you have – this
very moment. The past is gone and no matter how much you dwell on it, you
won’t bring it back. The future isn’t guaranteed and it hasn’t arrived
yet. If you keep your mind focused
on where you are right now, and what you are doing at this moment, you will
discover more joy. Have you ever noticed how time flies when you are
concentrating on a project or hobby that you are totally involved with? You
probably weren’t spending any time moping or concentrating on negative
thoughts. |
| Get
some good reading material from the library and escape into some adventure
of your choice. Whether you like science fiction, fantasy, mysteries,
comedies, biographies—you never have to run out of free adventures to
enjoy. I have a shirt I bought in Hannibal, Missouri with a quote from Mark
Twain:
"The man
who does not read good books has
no advantage over the man who cannot read."
Think of the wealth this ability alone brings to an individual – the
ability to be able to read. Let’s not waste such a fantastic resource.
Reading books as a family in the evenings is another wonderful pastime that
will create meaningful and lasting memories. |
| As
the weather is warming up, pack simple meals and go to some of your favorite
spots for picnics. There is something about a breakfast cooked over an open
fire that makes it much more special than eating at the breakfast table. You
don’t have to go to a lot of extra work to do this, but if you are in the
mood to fry some chicken and bake some brownies, that would be a delightful
meal! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will do just fine. Changing your
environment will help to create a completely different frame of mind, and
will invite an entirely different conversation, as you eat your meal whether
you are doing this as a couple, as a family, and/or with friends. |
| If
you belong to AAA, get a tour guide book for the area where you live. If you
are not a member, you probably have a friend who is a member and would be
willing to get the book for you. These books are free to members and are
filled with lots of great information. We have always picked these up for
vacations, and have discovered many out of the way and unique places that
aren’t necessarily on the tourist route. You can also check the library
for travel books that will provide you with new places to see and new
activities to try. I have
noticed an interesting phenomenon to which I’ve fallen prey. Many people
do not explore the area in which they live as much as the tourists do! When
we lived in San Francisco, my husband and I went to Golden Gate Park shortly
before we moved away. We had a blast, and both wondered why we hadn’t
visited this spot since we were very young children. When we were on a
vacation in the Boston area, we were looking for Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
where "Author’s Hill" is located – Emerson, Thoreus, Louisa
May Alcott, Hawthorne, Whitman, and other famous authors are buried there.
It was in our AAA book! Most of the locals either didn’t know about it, or
never had visited it. It was one of the most magical spots we have every
visited. |
| Visit
your Chamber of Commerce and they will give you plenty of literature. But
more importantly, engage in conversation with them and ask about some of the
"must see" spots that many tourists might miss. Ask them where
their favorite places are and if you had time to only see two or three
sites, what should they be. I’ve asked this question of many people I know
after living here for eleven years, and I always learn about new places or
activities, so my list continues to grow. |
| When
you are preparing some of your favorite family meals, make duplicates to
freeze. If you aren’t feeling up to cooking one night, or don’t have the
time, you can still enjoy a family favorite. You could even thaw and heat to
take for a one of your picnic meals. This is a good practice anyway since it
will save you a lot of time and prevent you from going out for costly
takeout dinners or meals at restaurants. |
| Play
some of your favorite games with either family or friends. We have had some
of our most fun, laughter-filled evenings playing games. One of my favorites
is Cranium. We were playing this one summer night with some friends and our
windows were open. Although we hadn’t had a drop of liquor, our neighbors
thought we were having a pretty wild party! We have one set of friends who
always invite us over on a couple of dates that are difficult for me to get
through because of the loss of loved ones. She’ll ask what would be best
for me – to talk or be distracted. I select the distraction. We play games
and the evening turns out to be so much fun. We have chosen to celebrate the
life of the loved one rather than the loss by honoring their memory in a fun
way. |
| Build
in some activity and go for hikes. I found a book with all the hiking trails
in the area. If we picked one a week, we’d never get a chance to hike them
all in this lifetime! Also, playing sports as a couple, a family or with
friends is healthy, uplifting, and lots of fun. I’m not particularly
sports-minded, but I have enjoyed outdoor games once I get going. These
don’t have to be strenuous like a game of tackle football. Try badminton,
throwing a Frisbee, bowling, or playing a game of basketball in a school
gym. Most of the fun is in the laughter we experience from our own clumsy
mistakes! If you don’t have sports equipment, keep your eyes open for some
of these things at garage sales. |
| Enjoy
a night at the movies watching a new release DVD. For $1.00 you can rent
brand new DVD’s from stores that have Redbox machines. We have one at our
local Walgreens, and we have watched movies that have just left the theater
within the last month. This activity can be enjoyed alone, as a couple, a
family or with friends. It is also fun to take turns letting individuals
select their favorite movie for the night. It broadens the horizons of the
rest of the group who might not have otherwise selected the movie, and you
learn a little more about why this is a favorite of the individual who
selected the movie. |
| If
you just need some time to "get away from it all" then don’t be
afraid to turn off the phone or let the calls go to an answering machine for
a weekend. The world won’t stop if you don’t take the phone calls. Get
some Calgon and take a nice long bath. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist this
suggestion! Take a nice scenic drive for the day. I know the price of gas
has gone up, and it has even discouraged us from taking drives. But if you
add up what it might cost for a scenic drive compared to a year ago, or even
two—you might be surprised that the difference isn’t large enough to
prevent you from doing an activity you enjoy so much. If you pack a picnic
lunch, it will probably be a lot cheaper than going out to dinner at a nice
restaurant. |
| Speaking
of going out to dinner at a nice restaurant, allow yourself a splurge now
and then. If you are really
on a tight budget, you can keep the costs down by going to lunch or an early
bird dinner. If you enjoy cocktails or wine, have them at home before you
leave. Fix a nice dessert the day before, so you can have dessert waiting
for you when you get home, Have some champagne on ice waiting for you when
you arrive home, or a nice pot of coffee ready to brew. These seemingly
small things add up when the dinner tab is totaled, and you will also avoid
paying taxes and tip on the "extras" which can be enjoyed at home
at your leisure. |
Although I wanted this article to be about learning to have fun
no matter what heavy challenges are facing you, my suggestions were ones that
you could enjoy on a meager budget. If you are in a position to enjoy more
expensive entertainment without it creating havoc in your life, then select
those things that bring you joy. I
have found that some of the simpler activities bring me the most joy, especially
when shared with the people close to me. Joy is not passive – joy is active,
and you must actively invite it into your life to experience it! Remember how
important it is to open your heart to receiving happiness by focusing your
energies and thoughts on the positive aspects of life. My wish is that each of
our readers can learn to experience the joy that you so richly deserve.
* * *
Copyright
© 2008 by Karen Kuebler. All rights reserved. Want more
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