CONTENTS:
One of the "valuables"
Why?
Make a good choice!
Enjoyment defined
Distractions vs. true enjoyments
Create and have a ready list available!
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ONE OF THE "VALUABLES"
Having positive emotions and positive experiences is a valuable part of life. Enjoyment is one of the sources. Gratitude, fulfillment, full self-expression, happiness actions, positive visualizations, etc. and etc. also provide positive emotions and experience life in a postive sense.
Enjoying life, creating fond memories, relaxing, feeling good, being totally out of one's self-consciousness is a vital part of a thriving life. It is a "relaxing of the tensions, a diverting from the anxieties in life, a clearing of the toxics in the mind".
One who takes no time for it suffers; one who is sure to put it in life where it is needed prospers in health and in happiness.
When mixed with fulfilling pursuits and activities, meaningful interactions, and living the rest of a full life it is a potent catalyst to living in happiness.
WHY?
The idea is to create a sense of peacefulness and confidence about life being good, such that we can function better in the rest of our lives so that we are able to create more happiness, satisfaction, and fulfillment.
One could argue that enjoyment is only for creating renewal and not an end in itself, and the argument would have merit. An example of something like that is taking a Rejuvenation Day.
However, the greater question is does it, in itself, by itself, create positive emotions and positive experiences. Of course, the answer is yes.
And, of course, it is a matter of balance - and also of perceiving what is really true enjoyment, instead of just distraction.
MAKE A GOOD CHOICE!
Being conscious of, aware of, what is enjoyment and what is not enjoyment will, obviously, help you to make a purposeful choice, rather than letting what comes up in life or what is convenient rule what you do.
THE DEFINITION OF ENJOYMENT
To experience with joy; take pleasure or satisfaction in.
Some examples: He enjoys Chinese food. She enjoys herself at everything she does. He enjoys writing.
DISTRACTIONS VERSUS ENJOYMENTS
Watching too much tv is an example of a distraction most of the time. When researchers check in to how one is feeling while watching tv, people are shown to be in a state of mild depression.
Even going out with friends who are negative or not enjoyable is a distraction that people automatically engage in. Often such empty or negative actions are done simply because of a set of (false) beliefs: "one should be friendly with everybody", "stick by your friends even when it is not good for you", and other shoulds and commands. If you ask "is this really enjoyable and enhancing for me?", then you are much more likely to make better choices - and to live a much happier life.
Addictions fall into the category of distraction, as a means of "relieving" one's tensions. Thoughtlessly living life is operating out of addiction, some mild ones and some severe ones that we choose to actually label "addiction". We often live the life of a gradually boiling frog or we live somewhere higher up on the spectrum toward choosing a thriving life. [I recommend being at the highest part of the scale.]
HAVE A READY LIST AVAILABLE!
The general rule is that a space will be filled up with what is most readily available. That is true of thoughts and of activities. If we want to insert more good thoughts and more enjoyable activities, instead of just go with the "drift" of life, one would create and refer to a ready list of good thoughts and a ready list of enjoyable activities. And then we can apply our intelligence to choose what is most enjoyable and/or rewarding, thus increasing happiness in life greatly. (As is suggested by applying the 80/20 Rule in life.)
Here's my list. You'll want to make up yours to fit you, so you'll choose your activities when you are in your higher brain.
You must know what these are and have this list accessible (preferably in the Reminders Notebook, though it can also fit in the About Me Notebook) and then use this to take care of and give love to yourself.
