Guest Blog Post: Deb Seymour – “Simple Fun”

Simple FUN!

Imagine being 12 years old again. You’re swimming in a lake with your lunch in a plastic bag held high above the water, to get to “The Big Rock” to eat lunch in a magical place.

Or, how about waking up early every morning to check the bait trap for crayfish. Picking them out carefully by their backside near their tail, so you wouldn’t get pinched, and lining them up in a row on the shore for a race back into the water.

Those are my cherished memories of our annual summer vacation to my Grandparents’ cabin on Moosehead Lake, Maine. Gramps bought 2.5 lots of lakefront property back in 1925. Every summer he travel up from NY on the weekends and use the scraps from the lumber mills to build his future summer retirement home (and, my happy place!). My mom and aunt came into the picture shortly after the cabin was completed and were lucky enough to pend the entire summer on the lake. Summers in Maine became an annual tradition for our family.

I’m grateful I got to spend my summer vacations on the lake. The familiar games we would play, hikes in the woods, swimming in the lake, fishing off the dock and stargazing near the campfire made up those precious 7 days each August. It became a place I would dream of during the year when life was busy with school. I longed for the simple ways to have fun.

Our world is exciting and adventures to far away places like Iceland and London catch my attention. But, I often hear about people needing time off after their vacation or longing to stay home for a “staycation” that further clarify what I know to be true: slowing the pace down and making the simple things “fun” are what recharges me.

A few years back we went on The Disney Cruise with four other families from our neighborhood. Lots of kids, Mickey and high expectations. I recall sitting at dinner one night watching my
friend cry as she was visibly overwhelmed and disappointed with her expectations of what she believed dinner with a family of 5 should be like. The 3 year old was “done” and in no mood to sit quietly, dressed up for dinner at 8pm. Lesson learned!

What are some ways you reframe FUN to not cause overwhelm…or, worse, disappointment? How can you let a Saturday unfold and enjoy it as it happens….WITH your family?

The simple things make the best memories…and, they’re a lot of fun!

How cool would it be for your 12 year old self to swim out to The Big Rock, holding your lunch in a plastic bag above your head, to enjoy a PB+J sandwich in a special spot??

I hope you can find your “Big Rock” and have a lot of fun!

Deb Seymour is a Professional Coach who leads adventure retreats at her lakehouse on Moosehead Lake, Maine for awesome women looking to reconnect to who they truly are so they can be more aligned with their self, family, health and career. You can find out more at: www.deborahseymour.com