While we are all on a quest to better our lives, it is easy to get too serious and demanding of ourselves. What’s the point of whipping yourself (proverbially speaking – I hope) to get yourself to a certain state of being if you’ve developed the habit of whipping yourself?
As opposed to drudgery, this is supposed to be hard, but fun (in the broad sense) work. Don’t forget to have some kicks and some laughs along the way. Here’s a few things I like to do to unwind and recharge.
- Movies. I’m a moderately large movie buff. Especially anything that surprises or intrigues me.
- Books. I’ve always been a voracious reader. I’ve typically favored fiction in the past, but I find more and more I’m reading non-fiction works. Just as fun, but in a different way.
- Computers. I’m always tinkering with my computer. One of these days I’m going to build a dedicated Kubuntu box and use Synergy, instead of running it in VMware and taxing my Windows system. (For technical novices out there, I run an alternate operating system in a program designed to run a computer inside your computer. One day I plan to have the alternate operating system on its own hardware, as an independent computer and share the keyboard and mouse between them)
- Webcomics. I know, I know, not really “offline” per se, but it does count as “downtime”. My favorites are (in no particular order) Megatokyo, 8-bit Theatre, Sluggy Freelance, and User Friendly.
- Trap shooting. What’s that, you say? What comes to mind when I say “skeet”? Odds are, what you’re really thinking of is trap shooting. Skeet is similar, but different. Good clean fun. Go out and see how many clay disks you can hit. Not exactly a cheap hobby, but then again, not many hobbies are cheap anymore. It may seem odd that a Reiki master would be out shooting a shotgun, but if you move past the “gun” thought, and recognize that it’s a sport and as such it has certain equipment, it’s not that much of a stretch. Trap shooting requires focus, concentration, adaptation, and the ability to clear your mind of unwanted thoughts. Very similar to the benefits I hear from playing golf, but I’ve no experience with golf to say for sure.
What helps you relax and enjoy your life? Please share it in the comments!
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