Week #354 – Learn Something New!

Greetings Tribe — and Happy Friday!

Last year, Covid closed a lot of doors for many of us…but it for sure opened some others. Tennis is one example! Naturally socially distant and safely outdoors…tennis (like golf) saw an uptick in participation last year.

And my partner James was no exception to the trend!

With gyms and martial arts studios closed, Jim quickly turned his energy and attention from Cross-fit and Krav…to tennis. As a teen, he always wanted to play tennis but was pushed into football instead. Needless to say, his interest in sports waned quickly and it took years (decades really) for him to find his way back to his athletic self!

So on his birthday last year, I gave him the gift of a tennis lesson. Rackets, shoes, and cans of tennis balls followed (cans and cans of tennis balls!).

He was hooked!

Flash forward to this year…and he is entering his first tournament! On his birthday! What a great way to celebrate how far he’s come this first year — and reaffirms that it’s never to late to ignite an old flame, renew a passion, or do that thing you always wanted to do!

Which reminds me of this post from Week #47 from 2015:

I couldn’t help but notice this sign outside of our local surf shop.  This was the shop that started it all for us!  About a decade ago — OG Surf & Skate used to be called OG Surf Shop.  That is where I took my first surf lesson, bought my first wetsuit, and my first and only surfboard!  It wasn’t too long after that my brother Rob wanted to give it a try…and, like most things he attempted, he picked it up annoyingly quickly and easily!  Soon he had his own wetsuit, his own board, and his very own hobby that he loved so much!

Surfing is a tricky sport.  It takes place on an unpredictable, moody, and moving surface.  Much has been written about The Wave…but one thing is for sure: you cannot control it.  It doesn’t stop, or wait, or even play nice sometimes.  Without question — YOU must adapt to it.  And if you take the time to learn and cooperate just a bit — you just might get to experience the absolute thrill of standing up and riding a wave in for the first time!

I never would have gotten there on my own.  I needed someone to teach me.

And I’m so glad I did!

We think nothing of sending kids off for all kinds of lessons: swim, cooking, acting, dance, karate, band, and yes — even surf lessons!  Why do we do this?  To increase their learning curve?  To learn good habits?  And with surf or swim — to possibly save their lives?  Why then, as adults, do we try to do everything ourselves?  Why is it hard for us to humble ourselves to the expertise of another — all for the sake of learning, expediting, enjoying, and yes — possibly even saving our lives?

The best experiences I’ve had as an adult have been learning something new.  I took a ski lesson a DECADE after I first went skiing — to UN-learn bad habits and learn the “right” way!  I took a motorcycle class to learn how to properly (and hopefully safely) ride a motorcycle.  My sister and I treated my mom to a group golf lesson one year — and had a great time learning something new together (and playing a few rounds after that)!  And yes, I took surf lesson to not only learn how to surf — but how to fall, because wipeouts are inevitable!

I know a 20-something who takes piano, a 40-something who learned to swim, a 60+ year old who learned to play the trumpet, and an 80-something that will happily teach you how to knit!

I’ve used mentors, coaches, and webinars to learn — and try — something new.  I even used a tutorial to start this very blog!  You are never too old to learn something new — in fact, learning might be the very thing that keeps you young!

Your Happyness Challenge for the Week Ahead: Learn something new!  Learn to surf, to cook, to play tennis, paddleboard, yoga, skeet shoot, whatever!  Whether it’s been something you’ve been doing for years — or something you want to try just now.  Give yourself the gift of experience and take a lesson!  Two things will happen — you’ll either realize the thing you’ve been wanting to do isn’t quite for you; or you’ll realize it is and have a whole new hobby to keep you busy!  Either way is just as important — to eliminate options opens you up for something else; to nurture and grow a budding interest opens you up to a something new!

Take a lesson!  (Or give one!)  You can’t stop the wave — but you can learn to surf!

Spread Happyness — and share your thoughts in the comments!  What would you like to learn (or teach)?!

6/25/21 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com

Week #353 – It’s Graduation Season!  (What’s the best/worst/favorite advice for grads?)

It’s graduation season! 

And after this pandemic-year-of-all-years, I’m wondering once again…what’s your best/worst/favorite advice for grads?

A quick stop in the greeting card aisle is going to render some pretty trite examples:

• Follow your dreams…
• Find your calling…
• Pursue your passion…

My partner, James, and I often joke that there should be a “realistic” greeting card section with blunt advice, obvious statements, and realistic responses to really hard situations (“Heard your cat died…that sucks!”).

Why is it that we need to talk in hyperbole when wishing students well for the future? (Especially this year’s class…graduating after a senior year spent in a worldwide pandemic!) 

Why not think about what we needed to hear — or wouldn’t listen to — when we were in that same position ourselves?

Our world is moving faster than ever.  Today’s graduates have more options than any other generation before.  Their world is much bigger and wide open than any other time.  They were born into the internet, social media, and missions to Mars…

…and they’ve already seen their own share of chaos, unrest, instability, and crisis.

There’s no telling what opportunities or challenges the next year — let alone ten years, or just the rest of THIS year — will hold for them.

And yet, some things will remain the same: their secret wishes for themselves, that thing that lights them up on the inside, the values they hold most dear.  In short…their “why.”

So…rather than give vague advice and pleasantries, why not share what you really know?

Your Happyness Challenge for the Week Ahead: Share what you really know!  This year of all years, what is the best (or worst) advice for graduates?  What was it that you needed to hear — or didn’t listen to — when you were graduating?  Can you find a way to talk about these things with a recent grad — without talking down to them?  They are smarter, more experienced, and more overwhelmed than you think.  Most might be relieved just to have someone truly interested in helping them build their future, rather than just telling them “how it is.”  This week, reach out and share what you really know: the good, the bad, and even the obvious!

Even better? LISTEN to what they have to say! They may have some great advice of their own to share!

Spread Happyness — share your best (or worst) graduation advice in the comments!

6/18/21 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com

Week #352 – Father’s Day is June 20th! (Remember: The best gifts start with an “F!”)

Each May, I like to give you a heads-up that Mother’s Day is just around the corner.  Well, June is just about underway and we’re all probably more than a little distracted with re-opening and Summer planning.

So I wanted to take another moment a week earlier this year to repeat my public service announcement to those of you who are celebrating Father’s Day:

PLAN AHEAD!

But before you run out and buy another necktie or coffee mug or latest gadget, take a moment to stop and think about what the man in your life really wants.

(No…not that!)

The other things!

Just like the moms I originally polled for Mother’s Day, I asked the guys:
What is it that you REALLY want/wish for on Father’s Day?

I have to be honest, getting answers was like pulling teeth.  While over 50 ladies responded within hours of my Mother’s Day question, I had to ask the guys three separate times — and then only received answers when another guy intervened on my behalf.  (Why is that, guys?!)

Like the ladies, most guys don’t want something that can be bought in a store.  And while staying at home or doing nothing may have made the top three in years past…THIS year may be decidedly different.

Still, it might help to start with the “Four F’s” when discussing how the men in your life want to spend THIS Father’s Day:

FOOD, FUN, FAMILY, and a FRIGGIN’ NAP!

FOOD: From morning until night — most dads responded with some sort of food request: breakfast on the deck, donuts, waffles, burgers on the grill, ice cream in the fridge, and beer in the cooler.  Rather than buy your dad something on Amazon, head to the local grocery store instead and pick him up the makings of a king-sized breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, OJ, and coffee), a deli lunch (fresh bread, sandwich fixings, side salads, chips, cookies, and deli pickles), or a Grill-fest dinner (burgers and dogs, ribs and chicken, or steaks and potatoes).  Make sure you back it up with his favorite dessert — you know, the one just for him (even if the kids don’t like it!).

FUN: While outside activities have gained popularity this past year — ballgames, movies, and inside activities are all back in business! If there’s been something fun that’s been put on hold too long — now might be the time to reintroduce it! Dads do want to have fun!  (As long as they’re with the ones they love!)

FAMILY: In almost every category (except one, see below) — the dads I heard from all wanted to spend time with their families!  Laugher, cuddles, and a few “I love you, dads” don’t hurt either!

THE NAP: Moms aren’t alone in their request for a little extra sleep!  Napping was the number one response I received from dads, too!  Extra sleep goes a LONG way!  Make sure you get some on Father’s Day!  

Your Happyness Challenge for the week ahead: Father’s Day is June 20th!  Do you know what the man in your life really wants?  Use this list to jump start the conversation!  Let HIM create the honey-do list for the day!  Work out a list that includes things each member of the family can check off: food, family, fun, and that all important NAP!  Just like Mother’s Day, the most important thing is to PLAN AHEAD!  And if it is a necktie or another coffee mug — wear it or drink from it in good health!

[A big THANK YOU to all the Dreamers & Builders who took the time to respond to my poll — and whose honest sharing made this post possible!]

Spread Happyness — PLAN AHEAD!  And share YOUR Father’s Day ideas in the comments!

[This post originally appeared on Week #91.]

6/11/21 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com

Week #351 – Create a Summer Fun List!

Greetings Tribe – and Happy Friday!!!

Every year about this time — I ask you to share your ideas and plans for FUN over the summer.

Now I know it’s not officially Summer yet…but this year of all years, I feel the need to jump the gun!

Because for the next THREE MONTHS — while adults are busy making up for lost time planning their kids’ summer fun — they are likely to overlook their own!

And I want to make sure YOU have some fun this summer, too!

After a year of tension, restrictions, and various stages of shut down that kept many of us close to home and on the edge — we’ve certainly learned the value of “free” time. And that doesn’t necessarily mean unscheduled time…because a lot of us had that, and it wasn’t necessarily fun!

As the world re-opens, we’re all going to have more things to do, to see, and to get done this Summer. Let’s take some time right now to make sure they are the right things: the things that brings us joy, the things that bring us fun, and ultimately — the things that bring (and keep) us together!

We’re all in a rush to “get back to normal.” Let’s all make sure that the “normal” we return to is the one we want to keep! 😉

Remember: the best way to teach others to have fun — is to have fun yourself!

Your Happyness Challenge for the Week Ahead: Create a Summer Fun List! At this point, we have a full three months ahead of us before Labor Day 2021.  And while I know some of you may groan at the reminder that summer is limited…the seasons serve to remind us that time is precious and fleeting.  And not just with weather…but with life.  We never know what tomorrow, or next month, or next year will bring (haven’t we learned this!).  Don’t let it pass you by…make this the summer you take that trip, cross off that bucket list item, make that leap, try that thing, get serious about that project, or just get plain silly!  Start a list, brainstorm with the family, share it with friends!  And report back — because it’s no fun to keep all the fun to yourself!  

(Here are 37 random ideas to get you started.)

How do you plan to have FUN this summer?!

Spread Happyness — share your thoughts or ideas in the comments (or send me an email) and keep the list growing!

6/4/21 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com