Someone popped into my office to say hello and out of nowhere, a perfectly normal, casual conversation turned into what could be a life changing moment. Amidst the usual pleasantries, he dropped a bomb. 

“Are you enjoying life?,” he said. 

I paused, not quite sure how to answer. I could throw out a surface level response, which I did, and he’d walk on to the next open doorway. It sparked something much more in me though. Am I enjoying life? 

At that very moment, I was piddling through little work things here and there, passing time until I headed out for my next appointment. I’d been paying bills and crossing items off my list, just like any other day. I’d been working to not obsess over the sales number and the gaps I needed to fill in. Basically, I’d been doing work things and watching the clock tick away until it was time to do something else. 

Am I enjoying life? Holy shit. I don’t know if I am. 

Don’t get me wrong — I know that life will inevitably carry a host of tasks that aren’t considered fun. They’re just necessary. I know that all of our days and hours can’t be filled with Disney World level adventure. Some days will just be ordinary. There’s something to ponder here though. How many days should be just ordinary and how many should be extraordinary? 

Better yet, should there be some level of extraordinary in every day? Something fun. Something that excites you and gives you life? I’m starting to think so. Up until now, I’ve mainly reserved “fun” for special occasions like Murder Mystery Dinners at a friend’s house, for special days off, or for vacation. It’s as if I’ve been afraid my fun supply would run out and I must use it sparingly. I most certainly could not use it on a random Tuesday, not without planning ahead for it at least. 

I don’t need to go on a tirade reminding you of how short your one precious life is. You don’t need me to remind you of how quickly it can all change or be over. Maybe you do need me to remind you that there’s something you can do about it, though. Maybe you need a reminder that our purpose here on Earth isn’t to work and do boring things until we die. Maybe you need a reminder, like I did, to mix in some fun. 

Since most of us can’t pick up and go on an elaborate vacation tomorrow, I started thinking about what fun things could be sprinkled in rather effortlessly. For me, I will be sure I go on that walk at my favorite park this evening. I’ll invite Zach to go along so we can talk and enjoy one another’s company. I will work to restructure my morning routine so that it serves me and my well being. I will look for fun day trip area where we can drive to see the changing leaves and take pretty pictures. I will schedule a date night even when there doesn’t seem to be time for one. I will plan for us to play a board game because it’s fun and Zach has never played Clue! (Or watched Jurassic Park, but that’s another story.) I will plan to spend time with friends instead of insisting there isn’t time. I will plan for games and activities this weekend with the kids instead of just letting the time pass. I will look for things to add to my day that I truly enjoy. I will work to make sure those aren’t just snacks and extra cups of coffee, though I make no promises!

While hopping on a plane and spending a week somewhere exciting would indeed be a lot of fun. That level of adventure doesn’t really fit into our world right this second. However, there’s still so many big or small things we can do that are fun and enjoyable. After all, none of us will look back on life and be thankful for our exceptionally clean houses or the extra hours we put in at the office. I do think we’ll be glad for reserving some time every single day for fun. 

So today I ask you — are you enjoying life right now? If your answer is no, I encourage you to think about a way that you can sprinkle just a little bit of fun into your everyday life. Let’s not reserve it for special occasions. If we look for it, I bet we can all find some wonder and enjoyment without too much extra effort.

Here’s to an enjoyable weekend for all of us!