“Real recreation quickens aspiration.”
B.C. Forbes
Welcome to the fifth installation with the Righteous Way priorities, I’m walking through an alignment of priorities that the productively faithful should consider when gauging your efforts. Last week we covered the fourth of five priorities, The Labor – the work of your talent and time. All of this comes behind the highest priority with The Transcendent, your relationship with God.
Because leisure sits at the bottom of our priorities list doesn’t mean we have to be ho-hum about life. Life should be led joyfully. Joy is much deeper and more gratifying than happiness. It’s easy to resign happiness to the times we set aside for leisurely pursuits but if we do, we risk accepting joyless areas of life and do nothing to change it. This can lead to living for the weekend at work, or escapism in marriage, or even hedonism redirecting our life. Ordered correctly, leisure is important for our health. But let’s get the fun in here, this is a leisure article after all…
Adventure calls, and it is up to us to answer. We can burn ourselves out with all the dreamings and doings of life. Guilty of that myself. So with that, don’t let leisure just be wasted time in-between things to do – make the most of it. Here are four ways to consider putting this time to good use:
- Exploration – For many including myself, exploring new things is the spice of life. Whether it’s travel, the outdoors, music, or literature, the pursuit of exploration is a part of the adventure that calls within. Literature is filled with characters in pursuit of exploration, and it can be just as exciting in real life. By trying new things, we can broaden our horizons and discover new passions.
- Play – Sports, friends, and kids. You’re never too old to play. Shoot, I was playing with little dollies yesterday (with my girls, of course:). Play is important for kids and adults, especially when done together. It’s fun, imaginative, and builds friendship. As we get older, play looks different. Sports and board games take over for tag and army guys but it still fills a spot in our life to share in fellowship. It can also be done solo if you need to get away from people and decompress.
- Share – While there are times for solitude, there is always a time to share with others. Whether finding adventure or simply shooting the breeze – invite others into this. Sharing time with others is easier in some seasons of life but it’s important in every season of life. By sharing our joy with others, we can deepen our relationships and create lasting memories.
- Recover – If you’ve been pushing yourself too hard and feeling burned out, it’s time to take a recovery break. Take a timeout, and write down what you need to heal from and what remedies may help. Seek feedback from a spouse, spiritual director, or trusted friend. Take a retreat, a trip, or simply turn off all work-related aspects. This recovery break may be the catalyst you need to change direction or confirm that you’re on the right path.
To wrap up, leisure time should be viewed as a valuable and essential part of our lives that brings joy and strengthens our other priorities. Let’s get intentional about our leisure time and embrace exploration, play, sharing, and recovery. It’s time to inject some adventure into our lives and live joyfully.
What’s your favorite way to spend your leisure?
Adam Jarosz is bringing fuel to the productively faithful – subscribe here to get The Climb articles right in your email box, every Righteous Wednesday. You can also follow along the Righteous journey on Instagram @righteousco.
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