My all-time favorite quote is from May Sarton, an American novelist and poet, who once wrote, “Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation in which discipline and order are relieved with some play and pure foolishness.”
This is another way of saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
It’s probably not news to you that we all need balance in our lives, but it goes much deeper than that.
Yes, you need order and discipline to get things done, but you also need to find what makes you happy. Then you need to live each day trying to combine those things in order to live a Full Life.
I believe that success is when you get to a point in your life where your “want-to” days vastly outnumber your “have-to” days. My goal in life is to have the resources to wake up in the morning and spend my day the way I want. I will consider myself a success when I have the time, money, health and freedom to do what I want. Will I still have to occasionally do some things I’d rather not do, like go to the doctor or attend a funeral? Of course. Life will never be easy and pleasurable all the time.
However, I do believe that most of us make life harder than it has to be. We live in our phones instead of enjoying what the real world has to offer. We consume news that frightens, alarms or angers us. We don’t get out into nature enough. We don’t eat as well as we should, or exercise enough. We stay in relationships or jobs that suck the life out of us.
We feel stuck, even though we’re not. Everyone has options. Anyone can improve their life at any time. Remember, you are one decision away from an entirely different life. It may not happen instantly, but the decision to change can.
I’m not suggesting you ignore your responsibilities and play all day. In fact, as the quote suggests, we need order and discipline. You won’t get far in life without them. On the other hand, you need downtime too.
Without some play and pure foolishness, you risk burning out, destroying relationships and basically being a miserable person to be around. What’s fun about being serious all the time?
This quote reminds us that we need both sides of the equation, work and play, to live a Full Life. Each day, therefore, should be a conscious creation, where we intentionally make time to experience both.
So what makes you happy? Set a daily goal of making time to find that relief. That’s how you create a life that’s worth living. Be intentional about the fun in your life. Don’t hope something fun happens today; go make it happen. Schedule it.
Do you have anything fun on your calendar? Do you have anything to look forward to?
Learn to take some time to relax, reflect, laugh and enjoy the life you’ve created. Put your phone down and go do something fun. If you’ve worked hard, you deserve it.
Let me know what you think about this quote in the comments section below. How do you find that balance in your life? How do you structure your days to lead a Full Life? What is your favorite quote?
Remember, order and discipline can help you make an impact, but play and pure foolishness lead to a Full Life.
Thanks for reading.
If you enjoy quotes as much as I do, you might be interested in my book Impactful Quotes, which contains this one and many more, each with a discussion and suggestions for reflecting on and integrating the words into your life. You can check it out here.