Today I write about a deadly serious topic: FUN! Our society has gotten so caught up with itself that we have robbed our lives of one of the most important reasons to live! When the fun is gone from work, from our private lives, and from our relationships, we are left with a dry, barren, soulless existence.

The word “fun” comes from the same word that means “fool” today. We have to release our inflated egos and make room for a little tomfoolery on a regular basis. Otherwise, we risk serious physiological and psychological health issues!

If you need a little help thinking of ways you can inoculate yourself against such risks, read on, friend!

  1. Don’t believe the propaganda.

Good healthy fun isn’t just for the young and doesn’t involve a reckless party. Put aside all thoughts that you are too old, or too ANYTHING for that matter, to have fun. Take it easy on yourself. We actually do redefine fun as we mature, so no excuses!

  1. Infuse your life with little moments of joy.

Subscribe to a joke of the day email, wink at your significant other from across the room, make a funny face for a kid when no one is looking, pinch your partner’s posterior when washing dishes, etc… The whole idea is to make ordinary things special, such as adding candles to a weeknight dinner, blasting your favorite tunes and singing in the shower, etc… You get the idea! These little habits of lightening our lives add up and create a happy life.

  1. Get creative!

By that I mean create something, anything. You don’t have to be a master woodworker for this. Just lighten up and make something. You can write, finger paint, cook, make sock puppets, draw faces on all the oranges in the fruit bowl, etc… Don’t make it anything that makes you feel pressure to perform. Just explore your own personal desires and have a great time!

  1. Hang out with kids!

There’s nothing more fun than “borrowing” youth for a while! Get over yourself and get in touch with your inner child every now and again. I recently spent some great times with my nieces and nephews just watching some hilarious videos! The kids cracked me up as they belly-laughed their way through them. (Check out the videos here.)

  1. Play with your pet!

There is nothing in my life that makes me laugh on a more consistent basis than my dog. She is so hilarious and is filled with such personality that I just can’t help but stop what I’m doing and play with her. If you don’t have a pet, consider adopting one. If circumstances won’t allow you to have your own, you can become a part-time pet owner! (Read more here.)

  1. Play with other people.

Plan a game night with friends, challenge your spouse to a game of Scrabble, get some neighbors together for a card night, play Grand Theft Auto with your brother, etc… Don’t make it a big ordeal, or it’s not fun anymore. Just get together with some chips and dip and let the games begin!

  1. Learn a little.

It doesn’t take long to learn a little something. Spend time learning something new by taking an interesting community ed class at the recreation center, watch a TED Talk while waiting for the bus, or feed your mind in 5 minutes while standing in line at the store. This form of fun can take you wherever your want it to go!

  1. Plan a family fun day.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to plan a great time for your family. Many cities have lots of information online about free stuff to do, and you can create your own adventure too! Try letterboxing, or make your own scavenger hunt. You can pick your own produce, put on a play, make homemade pizza and rent a movie, pack a picnic, camp in the backyard, plan a holiday celebration, plant a garden, etc… The possibilities are endless! And don’t forget to involve the kids when you’re deciding what to do. They’ll have super ideas!

  1. Join a local club.

My wife would really enjoy being in a book club, but I would have more fun joining a photography group. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s FUN and, again, adds no pressure to your life!

  1. Change up your workout routine.

Instead of endless hours on the elliptical machine indoors at the fitness club, mix up your routine by throwing on the headphones and enjoying nature at a nice clip. Instead of lifting weights in a sterile gym, do some indoor rock climbing. Any way to make working out more fun is a bonus in my book!

Rooney_WorldCup

Rooney asked me this morning to post a picture of her with her decked out in her soccer (er, football) equipment.  Football is her favorite sport and loves to use her nose to kick the ball around.  Enjoy the FIFA World Cup 2014!  I know Rooney will.

With gratitude,
Bill

I just got in a new camera and excited about it. It is going to be really cool because I will be creating some new positive thinking screensavers from some of the pictures I take.  So keep checking the blog because I will post a note here on where to get the screensavers.

Have yourself a beautiful and wonderful day!
Bill

My good friend Grace from www.blessedelements.com posted this on her website.  Check it out by going to  and placing a comment there!

Peace and much gratitude!
Bill

VERY SOON, I will be making a MAJOR announcement concerning my site, idontstink.com.  This is BIG people!  Keep checking the site because you will be amazed for sure. 

Have a superfantabulicious day!
Bill

Researchers in Germany have found that dogs, using just their power of scent, can detect cancer in 71 percent of patients.  Click here to read the full story.  Awesome!

I have decided to make this fun Valentine’s Day arts and crafts activity available to everyone.  It was actually posted a few weeks ago in the membership content area, but I wanted to offer it to you in celebration of the day.  Click here to open the page for instructions, guidelines and suggestions for creating your very own personal Valentine’s Day cards.  You will see two templates, one using Sweetie and the other one using Stanky.

BONUS: Send an animated Valentine’s Day eCard.  Click here to open the card and send it to others you love.  It will certainly put a smile on your face and love in your heart.

I left Monday afternoon for a business trip to Chicago.  I was scheduled to return Wednesday night but mother nature had other plans.  Now I will be here until Friday afternoon due to the major snow storm that is currently hitting Chicago.  Here’s a video that I took after having dinner early this evening. 

Peace and gratitude,
Bill

Click IMG_0242 to see the video…

Earlier today I was watching a YouTube Video of Srikumar Rao and he was discussing how to be happy.  He went on to state that we often put all our efforts in the outcome instead of the process.  But the interesting point is that we do not have control over the outcomes.  However, we do have control over the actions we take.  It is when we give our best at achieving what we want, more often than not, we will have a positive outcome.

Life is a journey.  Everything we do, see, and including what we think is a journey.  If you are at work complaining about your job, that is a journey.  If you watch 2-3 hours of television, that too is a journey.  The bigest question to ask yourself, “Is this the journey I want.”  Once we start making different choices in what we think, what we say and what we do, we are almost guaranteed to experience more outcomes that are to our liking.

With peace and gratitude,
Bill

An old Cherokee was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A battle is raging inside me … it is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The old man fixed the children with a firm stare. “This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee replied: “The one you feed.”