Each month I share highlights from My One Word Journal. My Word for the year is BECOME, and this month I set out to become a fun person!
It all started with a question from an e-mail I received that asked, "Are you a fun person?" My answer to that was "no, not really", followed closely by the questions to myself: Why not? Shouldn't you be? Do you want to be a fun person?
Fun people are more attractive, and people want to be around them. Being a child of God is fun, and that should be reflected to the world. So I set my intentions to BECOME a fun person this month.
Scriptures:
Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! Sing him songs, belt out hymns, translate his wonders into music! Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seek God. Live a happy life! Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered— O seed of Abraham, his servant, O child of Jacob, his chosen. Psalms 105:1-6 MSG
"A happy heart is good medicine, and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 AMP
"So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun." Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT
"I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing." John 15:11 AMP
Highlights from my notes:
- I am a child of God, and children have fun. They view their world with wonder. They learn best through playing and having fun. As parents, we love to see our children have fun, and our Father God is no different.
- The fun starts in your mind. Cultivate a fun mindset. Bless more, show gratitude, and pay attention to your thoughts. Decide you will smile and laugh more. Focus more on the journey and not the end results.
- Traits of a fun person. Adventurous, generous, active, caring, humble original, brave, and self-assured. Which of these do I need to cultivate?
- Fun is a relative term. What does fun look like for me? Be me, don't let others dictate what fun is for me. For example, I don't enjoy amusement parks, but museums, botanical gardens, and the zoo are fun for me. And that is ok!
- Fun killers. When I'm not having fun, check for these: guilt, false burdens, performance mentality (the should do's & have to's), shame, unforgiveness, discouragement, fear, worry, and allowing outside influences to upset me.
- Identify places where I'm not having fun. Why is this no longer fun? How can I make it fun? Listen to music, dance a little, and find something in it to laugh about.
- The benefits of having fun are reduced stress, better sleep, and increased creativity. Having fun keeps you feeling young, improves your social skills, gives you better memory, and more energy, and increases your productivity.
Quotes:
"Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough." - Emily Dickinson
"The party lives within you, and you can have fun anywhere as long as you are a fun person." - Tonya Leigh
"Having fun is good for you because physiologically, it helps to balance out our stress and fee-good hormones, preventing diseases long-term. It helps boost creativity, energy, productivity, and overall cognition. It's like our brains revert back to being a child again. Children are simply amazing with their sense of curiosity, creativity, and overall happiness." - 10 Benefits of Having Fun by Rebecca Crespo
Art Journaling Page:
Fun starts with thoughts(and coffee). "Happy people see shades of grey. They prioritize problems, and turn them into possibilities, and don't lose sight of the big picture." An empty pot represents possibilities, a chair in the garden for dreaming.
Action Plan:
Become a fun person.
Steps to take:
- Discover what fun looks like to me and do more of it!
- Cultivate a fun mindset--How can I make this more fun? What can I do to add more fun into my day?
- Schedule at least two fun days a month.
- Practice smiling and laughing more. Allow joy to bubble us and flow out of me. Dance, sing, and be silly every day.
- Be adventurous--try something new. Step out of my comfort zone a little bit more.
My Celebration:
Mini golf date with Steve.
My Favorite Steps & Review
- We had Mom and Dad over for a cookout.
- Spent a day outside with Steve, reading, listening to music, and talking.
- Made zucchini bread on the grill. It was good but had a smoky flavor that was different with the sweetness of the bread.
- I've discovered that I have been letting outside influences, such as the media, dictate what a fun person looks like. I don't need to force myself to be someone I'm not to be a fun person.
- My fun is
- Finding a new recipe that my husband will love.
- Repurposing found objects from garage sales or antique shops.
- Sitting on my porch with coffee and watching the birds in my garden.
- YouTube's Bossa Nova Jazz Seaside Café is a fun background for dreaming and reading.
- Gardening, quilting, and writing
- My favorite fun thing to do is from Psalms 105--Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works, and be alert for signs of his presence. Then celebrate!
To my surprise, God showed me I am a fun person, and so are you! We only need to acknowledge and uncover her. Then let her shine again.
How is your One Word journey progressing? What surprises has God had for you this month?
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6 comments
Jode, this is fabulous. What a great journey. Humm… Am I a fun person? Here in my bubble, I like to think so. I love to see people laugh. Great action plan for steps to take. Your favorite steps reflection are such a treasure.