Kind of Fun

In this episode, Cherese invites us to rediscover the lost art of fun. Through personal stories, she reminds us that fun isn't just for kids. So, grab your rain boots (just in case) and listen for a lighthearted yet meaningful discussion on why having fun is essential for a fulfilling life.

Hey, friends, this is Cherese Lee, and you're listening to the Just Waiting for You podcast. Whether the sun is shining where you are in life today, or you're walking through a crappy storm and you really wish you got some rain boots. The power of a story is sometimes all you need for that perspective shift. Hang out with us for a few minutes and find out what happens when you realize that someone is just waiting for you.

It's a story. It's just a story. Years ago, I was chatting with a friend who had just celebrated a big birthday, and I asked her how it was feeling, how it had been. And she said, “you know, now that I'm forty, I've decided that I'm no longer going to do things that sound kind of fun.” I was like, “kind of fun?”

And she said, “oh, you know what I mean? Someone will invite you to something and you'll think, oh, I mean, it kind of sounds fun…but I'd really just be going out of obligation…so, yeah, no, I'm no longer going to do those things.” And I thought, “huh, well, that's-that's revolutionary. I didn't know that you could just turn down invitations. That you could actually choose what sounds kinda fun. And that maybe that just wasn't good enough.”

And then after a little more reflecting, I was actually taken aback by the thought of fun at all. And I started thinking, “wow, she has so much fun in her life that she has to pick and choose. She's now eliminating kinda fun things.”

Crap! Do I have fun anymore? Maybe I'd be really excited to even do something kind of fun at this point. Hear me out. As adults, we tend to drop the fun. We have work. We have responsibilities. We have kids. We have partners. We have parents. We have all the things. We spend, as parents, a ton of our time making sure our kids are having fun. We even are their personal chauffeurs to said fun.

Where does our fun come in? I think a lot of times it doesn't. And I think if we're being honest, that it's a conscious decision. I was quick to think, “oh, well, it's just because I have responsibilities and I'm just busy.” But truth be told, I think there's some guilt when I want to go just have fun.

I remember when I was in college, there was a couple that was very close to my family growing up and I was visiting with them, and we were talking about marriage. I'm sure it came up, you know, the relationship I was in with my now husband. And I remember the husband saying to me, “whatever you do, marry someone who likes to play.”

It had never occurred to me. Play is for kids, right? Turns out no, play is for humans. It keeps us sane. It keeps us grounded. It keeps us vulnerable. Have you ever tried to do some flag football on Thanksgiving? Our family has an ultimate Frisbee tournament every Thanksgiving morning, and its usually teenagers/college kids versus adults (I’m putting adults in air quotes because, I mean, technically, the college kids are adults, but come on.)

And we are out there playing. We are laughing and having so much fun. And usually the next day we're kind of dying, but it's worth it.

I have two different friends that mentioned fun in their New Year's resolutions. I have one friend and she actually listed it as part of her business goals-to make sure she was still having fun because it made her a better boss, a better leader.

First of all, when did we have to start scheduling fun? And second of all, bravo to those of you who make sure that it has an appearance on your to do list. I'm as guilty as anyone else of this one. And when I think about it, the people around me, my family, my friends, my coworkers, all of it works better when there is some fun involved, when we allow it to creep in. And if that means that we have to actually schedule it, so be it!

I challenge you friends. What are you doing for fun this week? Just pure fun. When was the last time that you played? Just to play.

Have you ever gotten a text from a friend that said, “hey, let's go have some fun? As an adult? Have you? Have you sent that text?

Because you guys, someone really is just waiting for this one. You don't need permission. You can throw that guilt in the trash because I promise we are all much better versions of ourselves when we let some fun in.

Thanks for joining us. I hope you allow yourself to feel the things today and then have the courage to ask. But what if it looks like this? Go forth and show up for life, my friends. Someone is just waiting for you.