Going for guilt-free play

Going for guilt-free play

"There is no pleasure in having nothing to do. The fun is in having lots to do and not doing it."

-- Mary Little

When you're tempted with a promise of pleasure, does guilt promptly spoil it for you?

For many of us, the work ethic still rules supreme. It keeps our life out of balance and our health at risk. There will always be lots of work to do. We can't wait for it to go away to enjoy ourselves.

Today, we invite you to become aware of your attitude towards rest, relaxation, pleasure and fun. When you give yourself a break, do you carry guilt through it? Deep down, do you believe that you don't deserve to have a good time, that you haven't earned a holiday? If you do discover these thoughts, send them packing.

"Guilt is the source of sorrows, the avenging fiend that follows us behind with whips and stings."

-- Nicholas Rowe

hoo boy, guilt is my number one stressor...I feel guilty for the opposite - my work ethic is "do something you love" rather than out of duty. Money has never been a focus in my life so I don't feel driven to earn. No, I am not well off and yes I have my financial worries like everybody else, but I also believe that everything I need is freely available to me and it is. I have a roof over my head and food on the table and healthy children...and so it is.

We seem to forget to play when we enter adulthood. Work becomes the be-all and end-all of our existence. At the end of the day we are too exhausted to do anything else. Some of us even work our weekends away. I can honestly say one of my strengths is that I have never lost the magic of seeing things through a child's eyes. When we explore through our senses we tap into that playful part of ourselves that is child-like and appreciative. Stress and guilt dissolve instantly.