(Photo courtesy Mike Baird via Flickr)
I took a break this afternoon and went to the ocean for a bit. It’s just a few short miles from where I live, and still I don’t get there as often as I’d like. I sat on a sand-covered log that had washed ashore and just communed with the ocean, watched a pair of seagulls dance in flight, and took in the magnificent beauty and vastness of the Pacific.
And what most enchanted me this day was the playfulness and boundless energy of the dogs playing on the beach with their owners. One dog in particular caught my eye as it sprang into action. It left the side of its owner and just ran, at top speed, chasing nothing in particular – there wasn’t a ball in sight! It took me a moment before I realized it was just running for the sheer fun of it. It bounded this way and that, and then all of a sudden decided it would be fun to run in a big, wide circle, still at top speed. Afterwards, it scampered back to its owner for a quick check-in and then repeated the process. Several times! It made me laugh out loud. This dog’s joy was contagious and I was infected!
What a wonderful reminder that sometimes it’s important to have fun just for the sake of it – to run around and do crazy things simply because, well, they’re fun and crazy. It feels good to be ridiculous every once in a while, to let go of the serious image we often have of ourselves because we’re adults and we’re “supposed” to behave responsibly.
So go ahead, let your hair down! Run wild and free; have a giggle or, even better, a hearty belly laugh! Do something out of character simply because it might be fun! And let me know how it goes.
What a wonderful post. It IS so important to play and have fun. When I was little, my cousins always told me I was too serious. Well I had a lot of serious things going on but as Tony Robbins says, it’s never too late to have a happy childhood and so I am having the time of my life right now.
Day 25 of 40 days of healing prayer — As my mind reflected on death threats for politicians, not hearing from my son in a few months and the turbulent nature of his spirit … I stopped and I asked myself, is this really what you want to think about? Why don’t you focus on what you want – why don’t you focus on thoughts that bring you joy (and by the way here is your blog post which filled my heart with joy). Don’t even be concerned about transforming or the need to create – just be still and reflect on all the blessings that fill your heart with joy and smiles — and so I did and I feel so connected to God and energized to have a happy day.
Thank you and blessings to you Sumaiya for the joy and good news you bring to life.