TEN: Are We There, Yet?

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Okay, so most of you know that I've challenged myself to 31 days of fun. This is in response to the revelation I've had recently about the value of living by a principle of now. The idea is that there is joy to be had in a world, or an existence where what exists in "the moment" is enough. So far, we've had eight posts about nine days of fun having, and I thought that on this day I'd review the experience so far, and also admit to my reactions.

I've been quite literal about the challenge so far, where I thought about the entertaining things I was doing and I displayed each one proudly here on the blog. I have to admit to something, though. I've had a hard time getting out of bed to go to work most (if not all) of these fun days, and I'm still nowhere near the social creature that I know myself to be. I'm admitting to these things because the one hope of this blog is that my thinking and the experiences that I have can help someone who has experienced or thought something similar. The fact is that I don't want this to turn into some long winded Facebook where I paint you a lovely picture of my amazing life. No.

I talked about experiencing joy everyday like I expect we would in heaven, but there's a very real other side to that story... This isn't heaven. I am still going to model that principle of looking for my present good, my now hopes and happiness, but I am very concious of marketing some miracle therapy to you. The fact is that this is a decision I'm making. Neither is it a box checking exercise, nor is it a wonder treatment. Some days I remember that there is good right here, and some days I groan as I realise I've run out of snoozes on my morning alarm. I'm going to leave you with a song that I think sums up my attitude pretty nicely:

I wake up each morning with a song in my mind,

And I'm always so eager to rise and shine;

I look at the ocean playing tag with the shore,

And I know that I've come home forever more.

I left the big city and the bright lights behind,

The freeways and neon — I almost went blind;

So, I packed my belongings and I came back to you,

Now if this isn't heaven I think it will do.

If this isn't heaven it's sweet and it's true,

Oh, dear ol' Placentia my heart goes with you;

May I wander your meadows my whole life through,

And if this isn't heaven I think it will do.

Now, I don't earn the dollars that I did years gone by,

But you don't need a fortune to be happy and thrive;

For there's more things to heaven than a dollar or two,

Now if this isn't heaven I think it will do.

I've got me a good wife and my friends old and new,

And I know when I need them they'll always come through;

I've got the mountains and valleys and the lifestyle I choose,

And if this isn't heaven I think it will do.

If this isn't heaven it's sweet and it's true,

Oh, dear ol' Placentia my heart goes with you;

May I wander your meadows my whole life through,

And if this isn't heaven I think it will do.

And if this isn't heaven I think it will do.

- Wayne Collins