Have you ever been to Disney World? Do remember going there as a kid? Or perhaps you have taken your child there to visit. I absolutely love going to Disney or any of the parks we have here, really. And one of my favorite things to do when I am there is people watch and more than that “kiddo watch.” There is something so precious and merry about watching a little one’s face light up in sheer joy as they ride the boat through the Small World ride or stare up into the face of their favorite Disney princess or character. Their little faces glaze over with wonder, delight and glee and I love seeing these sweet moments of happiness.

I think one of the reasons I love seeing such wonder and cheerfulness is that as we grow older we tend to lose some of that. And by “that” I mean “fun” or the ability to have fun. There are many reasons we lose our ability to experience such joy and fully embrace potentially happy moments and some of these reasons are very real. As we grow older, we of course realize that the Disney princess is not a real princess and that the superheroes we idolize don’t have super powers. But we also take on more responsibility and have more on our shoulders than kiddos do which is part of being an adult but can also be draining. Some responsibilities that weigh us down from time-to-time are common to most adults—things like work, sickness, relationship struggles or financial strain. And then there are the stressors that really bear down on our adult shoulders like job loss, cancer, death or natural disasters.

It would seem as we age that we should almost completely lose our ability to experience that blissful fun I see those little people having when they explore the magical world of Disney. But I would argue that we only lose it if we let ourselves do so. Like most great things in life—including love, health and relationships—our ability to have fun must be tended, nurtured and made a priority lest it slip through our grasp altogether. And yes, like most adult activities, fun usually has to be scheduled. It sounds crazy, but like I always say to my friends—if it’s not on the calendar it does not happen.

Think about your calendar right now. Do you have any fun activities planned for the near future? And take personal inventory. When is the last time that you belly laughed or felt exhilarated while engaged in activity? What does fun look like to you? I will speak more about having fun in the personal blog on this piece, but for now, maybe take inventory to see what your days, weeks and months look like in the near future and if there is any room for “pockets of fun” to be had.

Please hear me in that if you are in the midst of something like depression, grief or dealing with a terminal illness, I absolutely understand that fun may not be at the forefront of your mind. Whether you are in survival mode just trying to cope or looking to add adventure to the mundane, a trained Orlando mental health therapist can help you navigate your life path and pursue health and healing. Please call Life Enhancement Counseling Services today at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment.