That Sounds Fun

Sharing my learnings from the book, That Sounds Fun by Annie F Downs

That Sounds Fun by Annie F Downs

With That Sounds Fun, Annie offers an irresistible invitation to understand the meaning of fun, to embrace it and chase it, and to figure out what, exactly, sounds fun to you–then do it! Exploring some research and sharing some thoughts behind why fun matters, she shows you how to find, experience, and multiply your fun. With her signature storytelling style and whimsical vulnerability, Annie is the friend we all need to guide us back to staying true to ourselves and finding the fun we need.

• In the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, all of us have had to make our lives smaller. We haven’t been able to do much of what we’d usually describe as fun. And yet, we still crave it; our hunger for joy hasn’t gone away. What we really need in these times is low-key fun.
• Fun, in its purest sense, is actually simplicity. It’s a feeling of having a clear and empty mind with nothing to worry about and no responsibilities to weigh you down.
• Thinking back to this golden time of childhood, when she had nothing on her mind except snapping the next bean, she knows it was the closest she’s ever come to experiencing that perfect paradise that her Bible talks about: the Garden of Eden, where there was no sin or shame, just boundless love.
• Whether we’re snapping beans on a Georgia porch, or getting lost in a book, or joking around with a friend, for a fleeting moment we can feel like we’re there. And it’s in these fleeting glimpses that real fun lives.
• An amateur also describes someone who undertakes an activity for pleasure, rather than for profit. Now things start to look different. Being an amateur at something just means you’re doing it for fun!
• Being blind to the fun of things is one reason people knock being an amateur. But there’s another reason: sometimes, being an amateur isn’t just one of your options – it’s your only option.
• The author used to feel as if she was sacrificing her present happiness for the sake of a future. And this future wasn’t even sure to arrive.
• For years she put off decisions big and small, convinced that some experiences or purchases needed to wait until she’d found a man and gotten married. One of the major decisions the author put off for her future marriage was buying a house. She reasoned that she didn’t want to be a single woman homeowner. She didn’t go on vacation to Europe either, thinking it would be a whole lot better if she took her dream trip with her husband.
• But then her whole perspective changed. The author had been in the early stages of a relationship which she thought was going somewhere, only for the guy to ghost her after a few weeks. Struggling to deal with her feelings of disappointment and rejection, she signed up for an emotional healing retreat. After her week of emotional discovery, she realized she couldn’t put her life on hold any longer. She deserved happiness – and she deserved it now. It was time to stop waiting and start living. She realized that she was worthy of love, just as she was. When you do the same, you too can begin harvesting what you’ve sown, and start to feel truly at home.
• A hobby is something fun we do on a regular basis in our leisure time. Many of us give up our childhood hobbies in exchange for an adult life. Hobbies don’t just bring us fun – they also bring us closer to the people in our lives. having a hobby you love can be a lifeline in difficult times. So when you come to choose a hobby of your own, make sure you’re choosing it because you think it’s fun, and not because someone else thinks it’s cool. What you choose to do in your leisure time is your decision and yours alone.
• Sometimes we’re only pretending to be having fun. It doesn’t make us a failure to admit that we’re not okay. And actually, it’s only when we know who we really are, and admit what we truly need, that we can lay the foundations for a more joyful tomorrow.