“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun”- Katharine Hepburn

Life is meant to be fun whether we choose to believe it or not. There’s no guarantee how long any of us have on earth so we shouldn’t forget to play. Some people’s lives are so full of drama that they never actually enjoy their life. They go from one crisis to the next. Other people are so serious about being perfect, have a perfect family and projecting the perfect life that they forget how to have fun. Or maybe, you’ve convinced yourself that life is hard work and that you don’t have time for foolishness. You have to put food on the table, pay all the bills and you are waiting until that is done before you relax. Or, there are people like me that are so busy trying to find their way that they forget that sometimes the way is to stop and enjoy all that you’ve accomplished.

Life is not always as serious as we make it. One major gift I developed from my family is how to laugh at stuff that probably shouldn’t be laughed at. I use it often. But, what I am talking about it more than that. It’s about exploring our world. It’s about allowing yourself to break the rules sometimes and do something unconventional or out-of-character. Sometimes, we have to give ourselves permission to do something stupid, crazy and fun. Something that gets your heart racing, pumps the blood through your veins and reminds you what it means to be human. I’m not talking about something illegal or that will cause you to lose your job or your marriage. I’m just talking about doing something that you won’t allow yourself to do, but always wanted to do.

The business of being you is running 365 days a year. Isn’t it reasonable that you would need a vacation from being your regular every day self? All the pressure you place on yourself to do the right thing and make the right decisions. You have to live up to your commitments and your own expectations all the time. What if you give yourself permission to do something fun? What if you rewarded yourself? I believe that you should take at least one day a month to do something special for yourself.

We only get one chance to enjoy our life. I’ve talked to people who say, “I’ll enjoy my life when..” I’ll enjoy my life when the children grow up or when I get a promotion. Within a blink of an eye, life changes and suddenly, you are unable to do all the things you thought you would at some future date that never comes. Life comes with ups and downs. Do you want to keep putting off enjoying your life only to find that you missed all your opportunities? Enjoying life should happen while enduring life. As human beings, we were made for an adventure and thrills as well as for endurance.

If God didn’t want us to enjoy the world, why did he make it so beautiful? If you’ve never been on the sandy beaches of Jamaica or spent time staring at the bright lights of Las Vegas or New York City, you are missing out on the excitement life has to offer. You have to give yourself the excuse to enjoy life because you deserve it. You should play as hard as you work. Get a massage. Take a knitting class or, go more risqué, take a stripping class. Learn how to play golf. Do something on the bucket list that you probably never even took the time to write down.

Try something new or do something you used to do before you became so responsible. Do something you’ve told yourself you shouldn’t, couldn’t or that you can’t afford. You will be surprised how doing one thing will freshen life and increase your desire to do other things. Think about the type of person you could be if you gave yourself the permission to do something different and have fun. It’s great to be responsible, but even the responsible ones need a day off. And, if you are the responsible one and your mate is the irresponsible one, maybe it is also time for your mate to see how the other half lives. Trade lives for a day. It may open you up to new possibilities and understanding. Carpe-diem, friends.

“Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”- Anthony Robbins