That Sounds Fun
Read in 17 min.
Listen in 21 min.
Learn the key ideas of the book by Annie F. Downs

That Sounds Fun

Fun as the key to a happy life

Having a really good time is an important part of a healthy and balanced life, but in today’s fast paced world, people no longer seem to have the time to enjoy themselves. Spending time doing things that don’t generate any kind of profit is viewed as a sort of luxury that, nowadays, very few people can afford. Yet, having fun helps balance our mind and liven our spirits. Understanding what we enjoy doing is the first step towards helping us make our lives worth living. In That Sounds Fun: The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby, Annie F. Downs whole heartedly shares her thoughts and tips to help regain that piece of Eden that we left behind as we grew up.

That Sounds Fun
Read in 17 min.
Listen in 21 min.
IDEA CHIAVE 1/10

People in the 21st century seem to have forgotten how to really have fun

Depending on who uses it or what we are talking about, the word fun can mean different things. Something which is fun for us might not be fun for someone else, or the other way around, of course. We might even find that something we didn't even know existed can be so enjoyable that it becomes one of our favourite activities. This is why it is very important to understand what each of us means when we talk about fun and why we really enjoy doing certain things.

Among things which might be considered fun, for example, there are places, activities, playlists, musicals, meetings and memories. These are all actions which generate a feeling of pure pleasure which is difficult to describe in words, but there is one important thing to point out: change rarely occurs within us if we have no desire to be well, because we cannot escape what we really feel, in our heart.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has made this very clear. When the many lockdowns had millions of people trapped in their homes, some of them were still able to find ways to have fun, and others were not. The difference, of course, was in the attitude, as well as the ways and means available to the two groups, when faced with being stuck indoors.

We all have a sense of fun somewhere inside us: cultivating it allows you to feel pleasure even when it seems that everything is going wrong. For some, fun helps them escape reality. These people will have a hard time enjoying themselves because wherever they go, they will bring with them a feeling of discomfort that they would gladly do without. We cannot escape from who we are, even if we are constantly on the move, but we can learn to have fun.

Having fun is an important part of a person's life, especially in times of adversity - be it financial, spiritual, emotional or to do with a relationship. Letting ourselves go and having fun allows the mind to disconnect for a while, helping us regain a sense of clarity and, consequently, helps us come up with solutions to our problems. In 21st century society, however, a lot of the carefree fun we used to have seems to have disappeared. It is as though we have lost what we might call a piece of heaven. Today, people no longer know how to really have fun, and this is why their lives seem to lack hope. Being constantly under pressure, without having a release valve, leads to a general discomfort from which it can be difficult to recover.

  

The key ideas of "That Sounds Fun"

01.
People in the 21st century seem to have forgotten how to really have fun
02.
When we seek to enjoy ourselves, what we are really looking for is that piece of heaven that we lost on our way to adulthood
03.
The journey towards our lost Eden begins with a simple question: what makes us smile?
04.
To have fun, we need to go back to being beginners and do something just for the fun of it, without thinking beyond enjoying ourselves
05.
When you do something for fun, you shouldn’t worry about being good at it
06.
Falling in love is another way to understand fun
07.
Being yourself is an essential part of having fun
08.
To have fun we need a hobby that enables us to feel like passionate beginners
09.
Quotes
10.
Take-home message
 
 
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