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Why You (and I) Should Make Time For Fun & Play

There are seasons where life seems to get the better of us. We are pushed to the max, pushed beyond our limits to the point where time has flown by and we don’t know what happened to last week.

Summer often does go by like that for me, especially last summer with my Mom’s heart surgery and recovery. I had plans! I was going to go camping at least once a month, pull out my camera more, and take the time to enjoy summer evenings outside. That all changed of course, and that’s okay. I was where I was supposed to be and even got to see my big sis and get quality one-on-one time with her, more than we’ve had in a long, long time.

This summer, I want to do things differently. Be more intentional about my plans. I don’t want to look back on another spring and summer and wonder where it went.

It’s not going to be easy, this summer has its own set of challenges ahead. But I have a choice. Option #1: Go for it and make my plans but just be willing to adjust and adapt as things change. Option #2: I can just hope for the best but probably end up wondering what happened again.

I’m choosing the first option.

Why You and I Should Make Time For Fun

Well, for one thing, fun is fun and laughter is the best medicine.

As we grow older, we tend to lose our playful side. The joy we had of running outside all afternoon, playing tag, or digging in the sand at the beach are probably not at the top of our lists anymore. It’s kind of sad in a way.

That sense of play and fun is something I would like to rediscover again.

The Benefits Of Fun:

1) It’s Stress Relieving

I’m always hearing the wise advice to rest, to find ways to reduce stress, I even talk about it here on the blog. What I get frustrated with is that in all that advice, it is rare to find concrete ideas on exactly how to do that beyond get more sleep and remove toxic relationships… that only gets you so far and not always realistic.

There are some areas of stress that are not going away anytime soon so I need to find other ways to reduce stress and making time for fun and play is a great place to start.

2) Improve Relationships

Having fun with family and friends is one of the best ways I know of to create lasting memories. Memories to cherish and share. Memories that build bridges and maybe even mend fences sometimes. It’s hard to be mad at someone for long when you are having an adventure, laughing and enjoying yourselves.

3) Improves the Brain

There is this lovely neurotransmitter called Serotonin that when released in the body helps promote a feeling of relaxation and well-being. It helps clear your mind and helps put you in a more relaxed state of mind.

Additional Info on the Benefits of Play:

Michael Hyatt: 3 Reasons To Keep Your Laptop Closed This Weekend
Stuart Brown TED Talk: Play is more than just fun

Here Are A Few Ways To Get Fun On Your Calendar

1) Have a picnic:

Head to the backyard or a favorite park for the afternoon with some chairs, blankets, frisbees, a ball and glove, and of course some great food.

2) Game Night:

I’m not much of a sit around and small-talk person, I actually go a bit nuts. Playing a game, having an activity along with talking and sharing works sooooooo much better for me. I’m more relaxed. Well at least as long as the game is NOT charades.

3) Get Outdoors:

Go for a walk or a hike. Again the activity thing is huge in my world. But, getting outside and moving is great for reducing stress and increasing Serotonin. Fresh air, family, and friends is an awesome (fun) combination.

4) Create Something:

It doesn’t matter what it is, woodworking, cooking, baking, gardening, writing a letter, knitting, crocheting… the act of creating something you enjoy is fun. It helps you be present and in the moment, fully engaged in what you are doing. It’s also incredibly satisfying to see a project through from start to finish.

Be Purposeful & Get It On Your Calendar

None of these ideas will happen just by thinking about it. It will require purposeful, intentional planning. So make a list of at least 3-4 ideas and get one on your calendar today. I think a game night is going to be my first pick!

What will be at the top of your list of fun ideas?

Marta Goertzen

Marta Goertzen is an entrepreneur, writer and nature photographer. She daily explores the trails and beaches of the South Central Oregon Coast with her buddy Bailey. You can follow along on their adventures on Instagram. She is also the author of several books including her newest, “Confident Hope: A Daily Quiet Time Journal”. Start your own daily gratitude practice with our, “7 Days of Gratitude Challenge – A Gratitude Journal Starter Kit”.

selahreflections.com

It’s Easier To Consume Ideas Than to Produce Art

I love Pinterest. I use it for researching ideas, finding recipes, finding tutorials and more. My personal account has over 6000 pins of amazing ideas and inspiration.

Do you know how many of these ideas I’ve actually used? Maybe 100 or 200? Which is only a measly 1.6-3%! So what’s the point of collecting all those ideas?

Because It’s Easier To Consume

It’s Fun: Websites like Pinterest or Houzz and beautiful magazines like Artful Blogging are full of great ideas, inspiring words and beautiful images. I’m constantly amazed by the out-of-the-box ideas I come across.

It’s Safe: Consuming and researching ideas is safe, acting on them means exposing ourselves to risk and criticism. So, if we keep researching, taking classes, or buying books, we don’t have to put ourselves out there and act on the idea.

It’s A Distraction: Again, it’s fun! When we are stressed out and want to ignore the chaos, scrolling through our feed for ideas is a great way to ignore the world for awhile.

Consuming For A Purpose

It’s true that we need to continually feed our creative side with new ideas and inspiration. However, there is a fine line between consuming for a purpose and consuming for a distraction. It’s easy to get caught up in a wealth of new ideas that we never take the time to actually act on an idea.

This month I FINALLY produced a mini magazine called The Selah Reflections Journal. Do you know how long I have talked about doing this? Probably a couple of years now. But I needed more information, more ideas, more training before taking the next step. It was easier to research the idea rather than act on it.

It’s Harder To Produce

Producing art takes time, effort and commitment. It takes time to learn a new skill. And even more time is needed to practice and hone that skill.

With our schedules already full, it’s easy to use that as an excuse and put it off. If you put it off long enough, it probably will never happen.

Last year I took a great class on still life photography. It has been an incredible source of inspiration. But it is a time commitment to set-up a photo shoot, gather materials, experiment with new camera settings and then editing the images. As a result of my busy schedule, I did not carve out the consistent time needed to practice. It became my excuse to not even try. Was I busy? Yes! But it was important enough I should have made the time.

When we do finally create, the lovely “comparison trap” tends to rear its ugly head. We feel intimidated and sometimes discouraged because it does look as good as his, hers, or theirs. How quickly we forget that they have put in the time and effort to practice.

Acting on the ideas we have collected requires stepping out of our comfort zone and realize the possibility of failure. Trying something new doesn’t always work out the first time.

Sharing Is Even Harder

We can be our own worst critic! When sharing something we have worked hard on it’s easy to say “I did it, but… this didn’t happen, it’s missing this, or it doesn’t look like…” It’s not easy to accept the praise offered by others when all we can see are the mistakes.

Sharing something we have spent time creating is like sharing a bit of our soul and can leave us feeling vulnerable and exposed. It’s like we are revealing a part of us that is normally kept hidden.

It took me a long time to share my early blog posts way back in the beginning. Actually, even up until this post – it’s been rare that I’ve shared them on my own Facebook profile. It felt risky and unsafe to open up and share in such a visible way.

By The Way, We Are All Artists

Yes, even you! Art comes in many different forms, shapes and sizes. Of course there are the expected forms like drawing, writing, painting, music or photography. But what about cooking, baking, decorating your home, meal planning, entertaining kids, homeschooling, teaching, hospitality, or landscaping?

Don’t discount the art inside you!

Creating Is Important

When we feel overwhelmed and stressed out, taking the time to create something might be just what we need. It can change our focus from the chaos around us to the single idea in front of us, to create.

Photography can be that way for me. Pulling out my camera helps me be present in the here and now. The to-do list for tomorrow and the website project that is giving me a headache starts to slip away. Through the lens of my camera, I am observing my surroundings, I’m seeing small details that would normally be missed.

Creating can help us find stillness in the midst of life!

It’s Time To Produce!

I ran into this question awhile ago, (can’t remember where…) “What if we produced more than we consumed?”. So…

If you normally just scroll through your Instagram feed, take a picture and share it.
If you normally only collect ideas on Pinterest, pick one and try it.
If you write a blog post and keep it semi-hidden, this time, share it publicly on your Facebook profile.
If you haven’t written a letter in awhile, write one. But don’t use just blue or black ink – try purple or orange. And go extra wild and add a sticker to the envelope :).

What will you create and share this week?

Marta Goertzen

selahreflections.com

3 Ways to NOT Leave Photos On Your Camera Phone

You may have noticed, I’m a bit of a photography nut. I love taking photos. It’s fun to look for treasures or special moments to capture and share. It’s a hobby that helps me be present and completely in the moment. It helps me slow down and pay closer attention to what is going on around me.

While my main focus (sorry… put sort of intended…) is nature photography, I find that when I am at a family gathering, a party or special event, having my camera on hand helps me be more observant. It helps me see small, precious moments I might have otherwise missed.

It’s later on that I run into a problem. I look at all the photos taken and wonder, what am I going to do with all of them? I mean on my phone alone there are over 2600 pictures! There is no way I’m going to print them all!

We Are Losing A Legacy of Sharing

I love my camera phone, I take it with me everywhere. And as the saying goes, “the best camera is the camera you have with you”, so my iPhone gets pulled out a lot! Using it has not only changed my photography style but it has pushed me creatively as well.

Digital photography in general, has changed the way we take photos, store them and use them. But sadly, beyond sharing them occasionally on social media, sending them via text or attaching a few to an email, most of our photos remain unseen.

By leaving our pictures sitting on a phone (or computer or memory card), we are losing a legacy of sharing the story of our lives.

Many of us grew up with those “lovely” peel n’ stick or magnetic style photo albums. Each filled with pictures of family vacations, baby pictures, birthday parties and even those terrible grade school pictures. We could look through those albums and see the story of our family. It’s a legacy our children and younger generations are losing out on.

Sharing Our Story

It’s important to capture and preserve not only the story of our families, but our own personal story as well. Photography is just one way to do that. I think it is time to get the photos off our phones and into a physical printed format.

So let’s look at a few ways to do just that.

3 Ways to Get Your Pictures Off Your Phone

Photo Notecards:

I may be a bit biased on this one because it’s one of my favorite ways to use photos. It’s fun to create my own photo notecards to give as gifts. For example for a birthday I will create a simple photo collage of different images I have taken of someone through the years, here is one example.

To make these:

I use Photoshop, but you could easily do the same thing in Photoshop Elements, or online with services like Canva or PicMonkey. Both have templates you can use and add your photos to.
Next, print these photos on your printer or order at your local 1-hour photo.
Then glue or tape these to a blank notecard, which you can find at a craft store, Target, Walmart or on Amazon.

Yearly Calendar:

This is one of my favorite gifts to receive each year. I look forward calendars full of family photos showing the growth of the kiddos and seeing family adventures from throughout the year. Looking at them makes me smile, so I keep one at my desk and one in my bedroom. After the year is up, I still have them as a collection of photos which I can add to a photo album.

To make these:

You will need to set-up an account with a photo printing service like Costco*, Shutterfly or Walmart.
Next, upload a selection of photos to use.
Choose a calendar template and add in the images you want to use for each month.

*Costco’s photo center is one of my favorite places to order family style calendars. They are usually just under $10 and if you have it shipped, you do not need a Costco card to take advantage of their great service.

Photo Albums:

One of the many advantages of digital photography is that it has brought along a wide range of digital products and service providers. The options are amazing! Photo albums can be created printed with a hard or soft cover. They are available as small as 4×6 and all the way up to 12×12, you are left to your imagination and budget.

To make these:

Just like the yearly calendar you can simply upload your images to photo printing service like Costco, Shutterfly and Walmart.
Then, select the template and add in the images you want to use on each page.

Make It Easy

I have a love/hate relationship with the scrapbooking industry. On the one hand the creative, beautiful layouts found in magazines or on Pinterest get my creative juices flowing. But, it’s also more than a little intimidating. It has kept me from creating even simple albums.

Thankfully, I’m getting over that, for the most part. 🙂

Just remember, keep it simple and doable.

This is a quick overview but I hope it gives you a few ideas to try. I’ll be revisiting this idea in future with more ideas (and examples) of getting your images off your camera (or computer or memory card) and into your hands.

So… when was the last time you printed any photos off of your camera phone?

Marta Goertzen

selahreflections.com

Being Purposeful & Finding Stillness In The Midst of Life

Drum roll please… my focus word for the year is PURPOSEFUL. Which means:

Having or showing determination or resolve
Having a useful purpose
Intentional

The Purposeful, Purpose Driven Year Ahead

As I thought, prayed and journaled about what I would like to see happen this year, it didn’t take long to see that I was feeling ambitious. There was a lot that I wanted to accomplish in my personal life, writing endeavors and entrepreneurial pursuits. It was going to take a plan, perseverance and focus to get it all done.

Based on the comments and emails I have received from you over the past few months, I received confirmation that I was headed in the right direction. Your feedback has encouraged me and fueled a desire to have a greater positive impact and a more purposeful direction.

(That word purposeful, it kept showing up, I couldn’t ignore it.)

The desire to have a positive impact comes in part from a desire to encourage those who are stressed out, struggling, or overwhelmed. Which I attempt to do here on the blog via written word and in sharing the beauty of God’s creation through photography.

In the midst of all these thoughts a plan was starting to take shape and ideas started to form. This plan even inspired a new tagline for Selah Reflections:

“Finding Stillness in the Midst of Life”

These words spoke volumes to me. It gave me a clearer focus and a stronger purpose for this site. It will influence what I write about, the subject of the books and journals I plan on publishing and the products I plan to create this year. It also is a message I can share with those who are stressed out, struggling, or overwhelmed.

My word showed up again as I realized that in order to find that stillness we have to be purposeful in how we:

Manage our energy
Work and rest
Eat
Exercise
Simplify our calendar
Declutter our home
Care for others
Care for ourselves
Spend our money
Grow spiritually, emotionally, and mentally

It Takes Purposeful Actions to Find Stillness

We live rushed lives. We live lives of fully booked calendars. We live lives with brains about to explode with to-do lists, information and ideas.

Finding stillness in the midst of life is difficult, and on some days seemingly impossible, but oh so important.

Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God”.

In the book of Isaiah, God says through the prophet, “…in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength”.

During his ministry here on earth, Jesus purposefully stepped away from the crowds to find quiet places to pray and fellowship with his disciples.

In Psalm 23 it says “He leads me beside still waters”.

Stillness is there, peace beyond our understanding is available, but we tend to get so busy, running here and there, that we do not hear the words, “Be still”.

Life is busy, there is no way around that. Life is hard. But, there is also beauty in the midst of it all if we are purposeful about slowing down long enough to see it. There is stillness to be found in the midst of life when we are purposeful in seeking it out.

I’m by no means good at this! So much of what I write about here on the blog are things I need to learn. I think that is one of the reasons this word purposeful and the new tagline were given to me.

Find Your Word – Find Your Purpose?

I do think that by picking a word to focus each year, we get clues about our purpose and about what God is trying to teach us.

Find your purpose. It sounds so simple doesn’t it? It’s not. It takes work, it takes trying something new, it takes prayer and it means taking the next step, in faith.

Today’s Challenge:

Take a purposeful action to find stillness in the midst of today.

Marta Goertzen

selahreflections.com

Trying Something New, Even When It Scares You

Have you ever had an idea that excites you? An idea that brightens your eyes and lifts your spirits? You work on it, get it ready but when it comes time to share it and make it public you hesitate and ask, “should I”?

Last week I had to ask myself this question when I was ready to launch a Virtual Craft Show. When it came time to hit publish and start sharing on social media, I froze.

What if I don’t sell anything?
The photos of some of my products didn’t turn out the way I had envisioned…
What if what I’ve made isn’t good enough?
What if…

I could go on and on, the little, or maybe not so little, inner critic inside my head was working overtime. I was afraid of the risk and the possibility of failure. But eventually I did hit publish and make it “Facebook Official” to start sharing and marketing the site.

The Resistance

In his book, The War of Art, Steven Pressfield calls it Resistance, while Seth Godin calls it the Lizard Brain.

No matter what you call it… the voices in your head do not want you to step out of your comfort zone. They do not want you to venture into the unknown and risk stumbling in front of the crowd.

We all have it, we all experience it and succumb to it from time to time.

Resisting the Resistance

This is the hard part. I love ideas, research, creating and exploring. That is the easy part.

What I usually dread is the going public part. I’m both shy and introverted so putting my work, my art, my expertise out on display is hard. It can feel like taking yet another risk each and every time.

Last week was no different. Over a weekend I decided to move forward on an idea of opening up a virtual craft show. It was fun and a challenge to put it all together in a short period of time.

Then, when it was time to make the craft show public, the resistance, the lizard brain, the self-doubt kicked into high gear. I had a post ready to go on Facebook but it sat there awhile before I hit publish. Yikes! That was hard.

But I resisted the resistance and published anyway.

Why? Because growth, inspiration, creativity, learning valuable lessons, and more only happens when we push forward. Sitting still and being stagnant may be more comfortable but there is no reward, there is no joy or satisfaction that comes from overcoming an obstacle.

I’ve learned over the years that if I’m not at least slightly nervous about trying something new, the idea is probably not worth pursuing or is not BIG enough.

Being scared to step out of our comfort zone is normal and not something to squash instantly. It is a tool that can be used.

We have to ask why we are scared? Is it just because it is new? Unknown? Is it a step forward in faith or is it a nudging in our spirit saying, now is not the time. Only you can answer that question for yourself.

But if it really and truly is being scared because it is new, unknown and a leap of faith, then most likely we need to move forward and go for it.

There is risk of course. It could fail, it could not work out. But maybe, just maybe it will work out brilliantly! What if you stop just short of success? You won’t know until you try.

Keep Trying Something New

What if it does fail? So what? What did you learn? What can you do differently? As Thomas Edison said,

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10000 ways that won’t work.

I don’t like to fail. It is hard on the ego, it is discouraging and frustrating. It can make you feel like nothing is going right and you are doing something completely wrong. And in the moment it is hard to see past those feelings.

But, that should not stop us.

We learn, we evaluate, we grow and try again. If we don’t, that is when we fail.

What if it works? That is an amazing feeling. But again, you won’t know until you try it, even in the midst of being scared.

So I pushed past the fear and the resistance and hit that publish button. Is it working? No, not really. And yes it is discouraging. I’m going to let myself have a pity party, acknowledge that I’m frustrated and then move on.

Then, I will evaluate, grow from what I have learned and try again.

What can you try this week even though it scares you?

Marta Goertzen

selahreflections.com

Why You and I Should Make Time For Fun

The Benefits Of Fun:

Here Are A Few Ways To Get Fun On Your Calendar

Be Purposeful & Get It On Your Calendar

What will be at the top of your list of fun ideas?

Liked this post? You might also like:

Because It’s Easier To Consume

Consuming For A Purpose

It’s Harder To Produce

Sharing Is Even Harder

By The Way, We Are All Artists

Creating Is Important

It’s Time To Produce!

What will you create and share this week?

Liked this post? You might also like:

We Are Losing A Legacy of Sharing

Sharing Our Story

3 Ways to Get Your Pictures Off Your Phone

Photo Notecards:

Yearly Calendar:

Photo Albums:

Make It Easy

So… when was the last time you printed any photos off of your camera phone?

Liked this post? You might also like:

The Purposeful, Purpose Driven Year Ahead

“Finding Stillness in the Midst of Life”

It Takes Purposeful Actions to Find Stillness

Find Your Word – Find Your Purpose?

Today’s Challenge:

Liked this post? You might also like:

The Resistance

Resisting the Resistance

Keep Trying Something New

What can you try this week even though it scares you?

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