Life is Supposed to be Fun...Suffering is Optional

The other day I was thinking about life, which I often do. How to make it better, make it richer (in all areas) and experience the things I want to experience. Then I thought to myself, why am I not living it? Certainly, there are things that I want to do that will require certain resources, like money, but there are ways to enjoy life that I can enjoy right now.

So, why can't we have fun? Why are we always worried? Especially when worrying is non-productive.

There's a song by Trooper called We're Here for a Good Time; it goes like this:

We're here for a good time

Not a long time

So have a good time

The sun can't shine everyday

"But," you say, "but, I have this going on and this and this...I can't have fun! Life is serious. Life is unfair. My life sucks! If only I had this and this and the other thing. And if he/she would do this for me or say this, then things will be better. But till then, I can't have a good time!"  

But. But. But...you could but yourself to death...it still doesn't change the fact that Life is Supposed to be Fun.

I love the following excerpt from an Abraham-Hicks workshop. It puts into perspective the belief system of most of the planet:

"We love the feeling of this stream. So many humans--you take your boat down to

the river's edge and you point it upstream and you begin paddling very hard. And

we say, "But wait! The stream's going thataway. Why are you trying to go

THAT-a-way?

And you say, 'Everyone virtuous and hard working does this. We go

this way. It's hard. Of course, it's hard, but nothing good is easy.

  

You have to pay a price for everything. And so, we're really good at it. Look

how good we've become at struggling against the current.'

And then you go on to explain all of the reasons that you do it, all the

monuments, and trophies are given to those who try really, really hard. And,

'After we die,' you tell us, 'AFTER WE DIE, that's when the REAL reward for this

struggle kicks in.' And we say, 'NO IT DOESN'T. NO IT DOESN'T.' There

is not a reward later that is different than the reward now. There's not a

punishment later, that's different than the self-punishment you are applying

NOW.

There's you becoming, and you going with who you've become, and not. And that's

all. And you don't even need to worry about it."

Basically, the only struggle, the only suffering is what we put on ourselves. Either we like the negative attention, or we feel it's karmic payback for a past life we don't even recall; or we feel if we work hard enough, we will get our reward; or we enjoy the victim mentality; or someone instilled this belief system into us and that's the way it's supposed to be; or....well, fill in the blanks.

Photo credit: Tamara Hanson

So, how does one let go and have fun? Here are ten ways that Abraham-Hicks suggests:

• Seek joy --- first and foremost.
• Seek reasons to laugh.
• Seek reasons to offer words of praise --- to self and others.
• Seek beauty in nature, beasts and other humans.
• Seek reasons to love. In every segment of every day --- look for something that brings forth within you a feeling of love.
• Seek that which uplifts you.
• Seek opportunity to offer that which uplifts another.
• Seek a feeling of Well-being.
• Know that your value can only be measured in terms of joy.
• Acknowledge your absolute freedom to do any of these things or to not do any of these things --- for it is, without exception your choice in every moment of every day.

"That is the recipe for eternal joy. And it will provide a format for a life of dramatic, magnificent creating also. That feels like the "bottomline" to you: "How much success, or how much acclaim...how much value can I offer here and now?" And we are wanting you to understand is that your value can only be measured in terms of joy."

Fact is, Life is Supposed to be Fun!
Suffering, of course, is always optional.