Released on = June 3, 2006, 5:51 pm

Press Release Author = Nancy Christie

Industry =

Press Release Summary = Summer time should be fun time for adults as well as
children, says Nancy Christie, author of The Gifts of Change and creator of the
Community of Change web site (www.communityofchange.com).

Press Release Body = When was the last time you had fun-the kind of fun that left
you feeling refreshed and relaxed and almost like a kid again? If it's been some
time (or if you can't remember the last time you felt that way), then you are long
overdue, says Nancy Christie, author of The Gifts of Change and creator of the
Community of Change web site (www.communityofchange.com).
"When we were kids, we looked at summer as 'time off', an opportunity to sleep in,
stay up late and throw the nine-month long rigid school schedule out the window,"
she says. "No homework, no tests-life, at least for those three short months, was
very good indeed!"
But then we grew up, says Christie, "and as the saying goes, 'put childish things
behind us.' Life became all about work: meeting deadlines, paying bills, dealing
with personal crises. It's all serious stuff, and it all has to be done. But
somewhere in our schedule, we need to build in time for being a kid again. We need
to run through the sprinkler in our bare feet, spit watermelon seeds into the grass,
and in general, learn how to find fun in the ordinary routine of life."
Why is having fun so important? Christie says that by getting in touch with your
inner child and letting it out to play, you can enhance your ability to enjoy life
more fully. "When children play, they engage all their senses and are fully present
in the moment. They hear, feel, taste, touch and express themselves to the fullest
possible extent."
And if you don't believe it, Christie suggests watching a young child eat an ice
cream cone on a hot summer day. "Knowing that nothing will be as refreshing or
delicious as that ice cream, he focuses all his attention on that rapidly melting
ball of frozen cream and sugar balanced precariously atop its cookie perch. His eyes
practically cross as he twists and tilts the cone to get every last bit of dripping
ice cream. Every successful lick is a victory of mythic proportions. And when he is
through-when he has managed to consume it all despite the 90-degree heat-his
expression of satisfaction is wonderful to behold."
That ability to focus on the moment's enjoyment is what children do instinctively,
but we can all re-learn that skill, says Christie. "Start by scheduling 'play dates'
with yourself. This isn't exercise time but fun time so don't attach any rules,
regulations or expectations to it. If you can't think of something do to, borrow a
friend or relative's youngster and let him or her lead the way. Roller-skate, play
on a swing set, build sand castles or blow bubbles-it doesn't matter what you do as
long as you engage your mind and body in the activity."
Play time is all about being "in the moment," says Christie. "Unlike much of our
other daily activities which are undertaken with a specific goal in mind, playing is
just about playing-doing something just for the pleasure it brings. It's the total
opposite to our goal-driven, achievement-oriented lifestyle-a super stress-reliever
that we all need and rarely enjoy."
So for those of you who find everyday life just a bit too serious, draining or
otherwise stressful, Christie has a prescription that is cheaper than drugs and
better for you than that after-work cocktail: "Take two play dates and call me in
the morning!"


Web Site = http://www.communityofchange.com

Contact Details = Nancy Christie
2374 Oak Trace Drive
Youngstown, OH 44515