Funology: the origin is thought

By Sandra Dee Owens

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single … thought.

Before taking a single step, I first have to think about taking a single step. Consciously or otherwise, everything begins … with a thought.

Even Funology, a wellness lifestyle that takes fun seriously — is rooted in thought.

Focusing my attention on what is fun for me was the key to turning my deep un-wellness into deep wellness.

Minding my own business

Thinking for myself (a.k.a. “mindfulness”) takes time and practice, but following someone else’s thoughts, ideas and desires — takes a lifetime.

Having spiraled into unwellness in my mid-20s with chronic back pain, crippling anxiety, and no health insurance, I’d run out of options for someone else to fix me.

Deeply unwell in mind, body, and spirit, I was desperate. Or so I thought.

Fortunately, desperation has an upside and mired deep down, I turned to the one remaining option I had not considered. And so began the 36-year journey from looking outward for fixes—to looking inward.

Right there, in that simple but not easy shift, I discovered an internal toolbox filled with all the tools I needed for repair, maintenance, and ongoing, awesome-possum wellness.

I did not know how to use those (made-for-me) tools but fortunately, they came with the greatest manual on earth—my mind.

The “should” gremlin

Once on the road to recovery (see “The Back Story” next issue), I noticed that my mental-wellness was hindered by naggingly negative thoughts. Enter the “should” gremlin.

Considering that this relentless, invisible gremlin had not once effected any positive, sustainable change in my life or relationships, I decided it was time to be shed—of “should.”

Why? Because “should” is no fun. Since Funology is a wellness lifestyle that takes fun seriously, the gremlins have no home in my wellness.

So I picked up my broom, and swept “should” out!

What is fun, for you?

Like all humans, I am naturally attracted to pleasurable things. “Fun” is pleasurable and personal. Each of us has our own list of what is fun, for us.

Instead of relegating it to childhood, weekends and vacations, I recognized “fun” as an important tool for maintaining whole-being health and wellness.

One of the most important tools in my toolbox in fact.

So I began taking “fun” seriously.

How I did it

First, I made a list. From the smallest to the largest, with no judgment or second-guessing, I wrote down every single word that entered my mind when I thought of the word “fun.”

For days and days I added words. I thought about my youngest, middle, and adult years, and all the things that had made me excited to go outside and play. Every time a word popped in my head, I wrote it down.

When I felt like I had written down all the words I wanted to, I looked over the list and discovered that they fell into three main categories. And those made up my “motivation trifecta.”

Studying these three categories, I titled them and instantly recognized my natural motivators. It was a wellness epiphany!

Adventure + outdoors + movement was my motivation trifecta — discovering that changed everything. It was super-duper empowering to possess the how-to knowledge for my own wellness. It felt like knowledge I was meant to possess.

And “adventure” reigned above them all.

Soon after my wellness epiphany, I tried engaging in a healthy outdoor activity that I told myself I “should” do.

Quickly losing interest, I realized the activity was missing a key component. Though it included outdoors and movement, it did not include adventure.

It was then that I realized, “adventure” reigned above the rest in my motivation trifecta. I welcomed this second wellness epiphany—and mentally placed “adventure” at the top of all things fun.

Now that I understood how important adventure was to sustaining my overall wellness, I honored it by adding micro-adventures into my everyday work and play.

While I love getting on a plane and finding adventure in farflung places, out my door is what I have to work with day-to-day. And my whole being wellness is a day-to-day thing.

Activities like snow swimming, scootering, and building my own SheCamp (to enjoy and share) creates whole being wellness that is good for me, and others.

By taking fun seriously, I feel my toolbox growing to meet the ever-changing landscape of my life.

Funology is rooted in thought.

Before taking a single step, I first have to think about taking that step. Consciously or otherwise, everything begins—with a thought.

Is there a wellness journey you would like to begin?

If so, what do you think about it?

To learn more about Sandra Dee Owens visit: sandradeeowens.com.