Reply #6: Quick Tip of the Week - January 16, 2005 - This is my favorite to date [View All]

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The Art of Prosperity's Quick Tip of the Week
January 16, 2005

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Nothing but Fun

Does it seem that life is too fast paced and that you're overwhelmed with
responsibilities? Well, you're probably right. I'm convinced that we must
treat ourselves to as much fun as possible. In fact I'm so convinced of
this that I'm not going to do anything that's not fun. At least that's my
goal. And I encourage you to have fun too.

There are two ways to accomplish this. One is to find the things that you
enjoy and make a point of doing them. The other is to find the fun is
what you must do. Basically, if you going to have to do something make it
as much fun as possible. Even if the fun comes from rewarding yourself for
doing something that you didn't really want to do.

Don't worry; life will give you plenty of opportunities to be serious.
Just make sure that you give yourself plenty of opportunities for fun.

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"The real joy of life is in its play. Play is anything we do for the joy
and love of doing it, apart from any profit, compulsion, or sense of duty.
It is the real joy of living." by Walter Rorschach

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note: info posted here is from email received from:
The Art of Prosperity website http://www.theartofprosperity.com A Course in Money - Live an inspired life

I'm going to chime in with my opinion this time.

One of the things that is most difficult for me as native born U.S. citizen is our collective acceptance of the "American work ethic." The American work ethic has its roots in the Protestant work ethic brought to the U.S. by the early Anglo-Europeans who "founded" this country.

The theme of the American work ethic, of which I am sure all here are aware, is that only those who work for a living have value and only they will receive the "blessings of God." The insidious result of that ideology being that those things not deemed "work" are devalued; art and the arts, child bearing and rearing are relegated to "women's work" which is in itself devalued, those who work with their minds are labeled "lazy," "flighty," etc. In short, those who create rather than display adherence to accepted "work" standards in one form or another are easy targets for the admonition that "idle hands are the Devil's workshop" (I believe this phrase originates in early Puritanism).

How wondrous and loving and caring would we be had our ancestors introduced and infused in our collection consciousness a play ethic; wonderment at the ability to create, insistence that one who is able to play and experience fun and joy is the closest to God. How different would we be as a people if love and joy were accepted as our natural state?

I could say much more, but this is a post not a dissertation. I believe you can catch my drift based on what I've said. Please ask me if I've not been clear.

Thank you for reading. /stepping down off soapbox