Food For Thought Friday: When the Working Day is Done...

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I don’t know that Cindy Lauper has said so many wise words, but there is one refrain that is the mantra of many women, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” I bet if you sang that tune to anyone in any country, they’d know exactly what you were singing. And yet, we know that we WANNA have fun, but the concept of what is “fun” gets trickier and trickier the older we get.

Remember that scene in The Shining where Jack writes over and over on his typewriter (I know, what’s a typewriter?) “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy…”? Well, I propose we switch it up for the ladies, “all being an adult and no serving our inner child makes Jane a pretty dull and boring chick.” Not so catchy? But so completely true. As adult women, we are keenly aware of our responsibilities, for those of us who are mothers, we are quite certain about what is fun for our kids. Are we as on the ball when it comes to fun in our own lives? Remember the old Mall of America jingle (those of us who live in the Midwest), “There’s a place for fun in your life…” Is there? And I don’t really mean a literal PLACE for fun (although, if given a few hours of free childcare and some fun-money, I would happily make the Mall of America my place for fun. Yes, that is an overt invitation to anyone who wants to give me free childcare and fun-money.) What I mean is, do you make room for fun in your life?

I read this article in the Huffington Post by Lorraine Roe (Lorraine Roe used to be a reporter here in Minnesota, she’s salt of the earth and an all around cooooool chick – if you have a second, pick up her book The Psychic Housewives' Handbook. She’s a dynamite person!) I have to agree with her. As a Life Coach myself, I have encountered this same exact scenario with clients. Women who, when asked what they do for fun are struck… well… dumb. These real, intelligent, nurturing women honestly have absolutely no idea how to plug into the fun anymore. Part of it may be the fact that we become preoccupied with our responsibilities. I propose, though, that our idea of fun changes as we grow and change, and if we don’t make it a priority to figure out what our new “fun” is, we’ll lose out on a whole lotta fun. And I, for one, am not ready to give up the fun. So here’s the deal. It’s a Friday, take about five or ten minutes right now (it’s okay, the boss isn’t looking), make a plan, and get thee to the fun. An essential part of keeping your cool is maintaining your fun, because (say it with me…) “if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” Amen to that.

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