Why is recreation important? What are the benefits of engaging in it?

When you engage in any form of extracurricular activity, you give yourself the break you deserve!

All forms of recreation are enjoyable and healing to your psyche. Recreation provides you with a creative outlet that allows you to emotionally and physically blow off steam in an effort to destress and connect with yourself and/or others.

To keep from overloading your energy body, raise your vibration with healing choices made from a place of tender loving care directed toward utilizing free time constructively. Find time to get active doing fun activities either alone or with others.

Step outside of your comfort zone enough to challenge yourself physically or mentally in one way or another, doing something to relax and heal your soul.
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When you take time to nurture yourself, you uplift everyone on your pathway! This happens because we are all interconnected through a quantum network of systems interwoven via the unified field of Universal Divine intelligence. What you do can’t help but influence others in subtle ways, so shine your light brightly!

Balance is the key to a happy life and necessary to obtain rewarding opportunities that reflect the energy you express in all that you think, say, and do. To obtain balance, it is important to work on all the nine areas of wellness. One such area that has the potential for you to have a lot of fun in is recreation!
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Partaking in many forms of recreation can get you out of the house and into the world to socialize and interact with others.

Here’s how engaging in recreation can deepen your spiritual connection and what will manifest in your life as a result:

Here’s how engaging in recreation can deepen your spiritual connection and what will manifest in your life as a result:

1. Renewal and Refreshment → Inner Peace and Clarity

• As you take time to rest and recharge, your mind become clearer, opening you to deeper spiritual insights and connections.
• This clarity helps you make better decisions, release emotional burdens, and embrace life with greater ease, to manifest a mental and emotional reset.
• A deep sense of peace materializes to help you step away from daily stresses and responsibilities, allowing you to navigate challenges with grace rather than stress.

2. Mindfulness and Presence → Joy and Gratitude

• When you immerse yourself in recreational activities, whether it's hiking, painting, or any other activity, you enter a state of mindfulness that anchors your attention to what is being experienced right in front of you!
• This heightened awareness allows you to fully appreciate the present moment, bringing joy and gratitude that enhances your connection to the universe.
• As a result, you attract more experiences that uplift and inspire you, reinforcing a positive and abundant mindset.

3. Inspiration and Creativity → Personal Growth and Purpose

• Recreation fuels your creativity, enabling you to explore new perspectives and insights about yourself.
• Through play and exploration, you stimulate your creative faculties to discover your hidden talents and passions. With inspired ideas, you are guided toward your true purpose.
• A deep sense of fulfillment manifests within as you align with your soul’s calling, enabling you to contribute more meaningfully to the world.

4. Connection and Community → Love and Compassion

• Engaging in recreational activities with others fosters social interaction and connection, reminding you that you are never alone.
• You cultivate deeper empathy and compassion from shared experiences, helping you to attract loving, supportive people into your life.
• A spirit of unity and harmony manifests strengthening a sense of community, enriching your life with meaningful bonds and a sense of belonging.

When you intentionally embrace recreation as a spiritual practice, your life transforms across the board in every area of wellness. You move from uncreative stress to serenity, fear to gratitude, stagnation to purpose, and loneliness to love.

Here are some activities to get you moving out into the sunshine to reap the benefits of the great outdoors. 

Outdoor activities:

1. Hiking and camping
2. Skiing
3. Rock climbing
4. Binding
5. Photography
6. Horseback riding
7. Hunting and fishing
8. Biking
9. Soccer
10. Polo
11. Sailing and motor boating
12. Canoeing, kayaking, and rafting
13. Travel

If you’d rather stay protected from the elements, you can play indoors!

Indoor activities:

1. Basketball
2. Swimming
3. Racquetball
4. Badminton
5. Gymnastics
6. Hockey
7. Martial arts
8. Dance
9. Yoga
10. Pilates
11. Puzzles and board games
12. Art project
13. Creative hobbies
14. Virtual reality
15. Cooking and baking
16. Virtual tours and museums
17. Mindfulness and meditation
18. Online learning
19. Reading
20. Virtual socializing
21. Musical instruments
22. DIY projects

No matter what activities you choose to do, you will feel more relaxed and happier in your own skin as a result of your participation. Recreation stimulates the production of the hormone serotonin which releases happy chemicals in the brain. As a result, your mood is improved, stress is relieved, and your relationships become better at work, with friends, and at home.
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When you have a creative outlet to express yourself, life becomes more interesting, and you have something to share with others or to enjoy alone. It can be rewarding, exciting, and fun, whatever you choose to do.

It feels good to create and gives you a vehicle to show the world what interests you. It gives you a reason to do well in the other areas of your life. When your life is balanced and your needs are overall met, you are no longer in survival mode, and are able to focus on areas that bring joy.

If you take care of yourself, you will feel motivated to participate in life. You will want to join in and play with others to celebrate being alive!

Each thing you do will contribute to your success and can inspire you to nurture the child within. It doesn’t matter if you’re the best, but what does matter is that you enjoy the process, the people, and use the experience to expand your personal horizons.

Picture in your mind’s eye what you would like to achieve, and head in that direction to take the action steps needed to materialize it into your reality.

Focus on your goals and release any desperate need to manifest them in a certain way. Then have faith and trust in the process, and on how they will show up in your life. Know that no matter what appears, all is in Divine right order.

Enjoy the learning process, and then get ready to have fun.

What form of recreation will you choose to participate in? Whatever it is, enjoy the incredible journey!

When you have a wonderful career, it can be a dream come true! But when that career begins to take a hefty toll on your emotional and physical well-being, you may want to rethink your life plan. Perhaps it may be time to recreate a new blueprint for a different kind of success that is more in alignment with the integrity of your authentic self!

Vision – What is Your Higher Purpose?   
                                    
You are a vibrational energy being! It is up to you to steer your life toward that which brings you joy! Listen to your heart when making decisions. Doing so will help attract the opportunities that resonate with the type of person you wish to become. If you live authentically with integrity, others will notice. As a result, the right and ideal people will be drawn to support your vision!

The kind of work you choose as your means to earn a living, will greatly influence what manifests in your life. If you choose a serious career, you may be prone to stay in that line of work your entire life. If that is the case, your life will turn out different from another person who may choose to own their own business or decide to work for someone else in a less demanding fashion.
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No matter what type of work you end up doing, the people you serve will expect you to act in a professional manner that is respectful. People expect to receive what they pay for. They also feel that the customer is always right. Whether or not this is true, is another story. However, the reality is, customers do need to be satisfied with what they receive.

What Inspires You to Take Action?

What floats your boat? When you do something you love to do, work is often easier and the outcome is frequently of a higher quality. You can turn any skill or hobby into a money maker! Whatever you choose to do, you can make a career of it. Ideally, it is good to pick work that you enjoy doing.

The only way to learn about the different aspects of your chosen field is to get a job in a specific area of interest that motivates you. If it inspires you and makes you happy, you may have found the perfect work for you.
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It becomes more difficult to change careers if you have spent years in college getting certified and licensed. 

Flexibility Opens the Door to Creativity

Working in your chosen field might need to be reconsidered once you discover that the on the job stress may be killing you. Your investment of time and money can influence whether you are able to switch lanes while in the thick of it all.

No matter where you are on a career path, you can alter your course, as none of your efforts will ever be lost and can only make you a more valuable asset to whomever you work for.
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Yes, your educational units may not carry over to your new field of interest, but what will is your professionalism and determination to excel. If you have to take a few more classes and get another degree, so be it. However, this may not be the case. You can use your real life experiences to help in your new line of work, if applicable.

Be Courageous – Break Free

Regardless, you don’t have to feel trapped.

If you want to be a doctor in a specific field, you will need to consider the additional time and money needed to pursue your goals. So, you have options. It’s up to you to decide whether a choice is healthy and a smart one for you and your individual situation in life.

No matter what career you choose, there will be some level of stress that you will need to contend with. Yes, some stress is good. It essentially can motivate you to become better in your job.
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However, if you have chosen to work in an area that has high stress, you will need to learn to process it in a constructive manner and to make it work for you. If processed properly, you may be able to achieve more than you ever dreamed possible.  

Here are 5 ways to handle a high stress job:

1. Diet and nutrition 

• To optimize diet and nutrition, self-love is the key to your success. When in touch with self-love, you can listen to your body to notice how your choices affect you in all areas of your life. Pay attention to how you feel after you ingest anything. Doing so will help you to get in touch with the best foods, beverages, medicinal herbs, etc., for you. Ideally, a plant based diet is the easiest to digest, and is the best choice to support your microbiome. These foods are nutrient dense, which means that you will experience optimal nutrition and an increase to your energy level. Because your cells will be nourished and flooded with essential vitamins, minerals, etc., you will feel calm and energized. As a result, you will be better equipped to handle any on the job stress.

2. Eliminate or reduce caffeine and sugar

• Caffeine and sugar are accepted dietary stimulants used by the masses. Sugar improves the taste of foods, and in some ways, temporarily raises one’s energy level. Caffeine also increases energy. However, the downside of this artificial increase of energy is that eventually you will need more to achieve the same effect. When this happens, it puts a strain on your body. This can lead to sleep issues, further exhaustion, and possible weight gain.
• To prevent future problems, elimination of these stimulants can improve your ability to focus, to recall information, and to potentially enhance your mental clarity. You will also feel better emotionally as a result of an increase to the amount of happy chemicals that will be released from a more improved connection to your neuron and dendrite cells. With improved choices, a natural side effect is that you will benefit from sleep that is deeper and more restful. As a result, you will be better prepared to handle any additional stress that manifests on the job or in your life.

3. Exercise

• When you engage in consistent exercise, you condition your body to function at a higher level. Your body becomes more flexible and stronger, which can protect you from any potential injury. In addition, your self-esteem improves, helping you to feel more confident and attractive. You breathe easier and feel energized. As a result, you process stress more effectively, making it easier to get your work done. With this influx of energy, you have the potential to feel more apt to enjoy your life and to step into the adventure of living joyously.

4. Manage mental health

• If you find that you are suffering from a mental health issue, take a step back and listen to what your body, mind, and spirit are trying to tell you. Self-care is prevention and will work to serve you in the long run. Use your mind to learn what can be done to formulate healthy habits that serve who you are and what you need to become your personal best.
• Start with a to-do list. Use it to plan activities that will support handling day-to-day tasks like returning phone calls, sending emails, etc. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
• Set yourself up for success by managing priorities in a systematic fashion.
• Be proactive.
• Communicate your needs to others to set boundaries that are for the highest good of all.
• Create vision and mission statements that align with the integrity of your higher self.
• Relax and trust in the process.

5. Spirituality

• Many people think their actions will be rewarded either in a negative or positive fashion after they die, by the spirit in the sky. Maybe so. However, what you must know is that what you do in the here and now, is immediately felt and manifested within your energy body, out-pictured as either a high or low level of self-esteem. So, knowing this, don’t you think it wise to make decisions for the highest good of all concerned, so you will reap an increase of healing love energy that has no choice but to make you feel good about yourself, by up leveling your level of joy? As far as I’m concerned, this is the only way to fly to become a vehicle to bless the world in service to humanity!
• When your attitude is pure and anchored in integrity, the people you work with will want to know, like, and trust you. From this place of authenticity, you can access the courage to express your creative self to share your unique and special ideas. Have faith and know that it is time for you to give the best of yourself in everything you do.
• Discover your higher purpose when you listen to the still small voice from within. Do this to tap into that which resonates with what pulls at your heartstrings. Embodying your core values enable you to live an authentic life of integrity.         
• When you take action that is in integrity with your higher self, you move from a place of grace that inspires you to be a blessing to the world. Only through this space of spiritual integrity that is not grounded in the ego, will the Divine unveil your higher purpose and reveal how you will be of service to all on your pathway.

So, you will be able to handle your high stress job when you attain a healthy balance between work and play. A constructive form of stress, or eustress, will help you to move your energy in highly effective ways when you have the courage, to do the right thing when no one is looking. Your uncreative stress will dissipate and will be channeled positively toward your goals.

When you make healthy choices, good things happen. Learning to eat in a more conscious fashion heals the body and up-levels the energy. Eliminating caffeine and sugar activates clear thinking that enables you to get more done in a shorter amount of time, freeing your energy to enjoy your life. Exercise beautifies the body and fortifies the different physical systems, which help you to prevent injury. You promote good critical thinking skills when you manage your mental life.  Knowing how to think will aid in good decision making.

Use these suggestions to stay healthy and to reduce stress in your life. Doing so will push you toward manifesting a successful career that is in alignment with your core values.

To put your plan into action, trust in a higher power.

Have faith and know that no matter what happens, all will work out for the greater good.

Have the courage to stand in integrity.

Release all fear and get busy living creatively!

If you approach life in this way, you will know in your heart what to do when the time is right.

Resist the urge to worry, for it depletes energy when you fail to trust.

Instead, focus on what is going right and be thankful.

Take action and do what needs to be done to make the crooked lines straight.

In so doing, all becomes right with the world, and stress is alleviated.
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How will you choose to handle high stress?

There are many benefits to developing your intellect. For some, developing the intellect may seem unimportant and nerd-like. A perception such as this can work to sabotage your potential for success.

If you want a healthy outcome with an overall prosperous life, it is of the utmost importance to take responsible right action in every area of interest that resonates with your higher purpose.

When you make an effort to educate yourself, your self-esteem and confidence will elevate you to accept opportunities that stretch beyond your comfort zone to experience happiness on a higher level. 
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Self-Improvement

Your personal growth will be your ticket to experience an ultra-expanded standard of living. It also gives you a better chance to tap into your higher purpose, giving you an opportunity to reap fulfillment that is beyond the mere accumulation of stuff, which can leave you feeling empty after all is said and done.

A developed intellect can assist in guiding you toward making informed choices that can prevent unnecessary fear, worry, stress, and anxiety from manifesting overwhelm and preventing peace and joy from becoming your reality.

With an enhanced intellect, you have the tools needed to do your best. You have developed your mind to reason sensibly and have attained wisdom to choose being responsible over acting irresponsible.
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With an enhanced intellect, you are equipped and ready to take on the world. With each new experience, your ability to assess life situations improves, enabling you to feel empowered and capable.

Stand on Your Own Two Feet

If you want to be successful and achieve greatness, have the courage to be independent. Doing so, helps you to understand what it takes emotionally to be your own person, where you lean on no one. This action in itself, leads to maturity, and the ability to appreciate others.

You will feel grateful for all you have been blessed to receive, once you grasp just how much those who love you have gone out of their way to make sure your needs have been met.

Sometimes it takes gaining a new perspective to stop feeling sorry for yourself and to relinquish the need to blame the world for all your problems.
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Once you realize that only you can do the work to get the “feel good chemicals” that will light up the excitement centers in your brain, you will understand that there is no time to waste. If you want a happy life, you must do it yourself!

Develop a Growth Mindset

Use positive affirmations to retrain your mind to focus on the things you can do to move forward in a positive direction.

Use “I-am” statements to affirm your reality.
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For example:

• I am enough!
• I am loved and worthy!
• I am grateful!
• I am capable!
• I am always growing and learning!

There are No Mistakes, Only Opportunities

Remember, you can accomplish anything, if you don’t give up. No matter what manifests, each challenge you encounter is an opportunity to grow. You learn by doing. You learn what resonates with your higher purpose through every action you take.

When you form new habits of mind that are constructive, you build a framework of thinking that lays the groundwork for success to manifest in your life.

 If you create focused goals and then step forward to achieve them, your trained intellect will help you rather than hinder your personal growth. With a plan, good things happen. To step into the zone of creativity, allow Divine Intelligence to take over. Let go and trust that the life-force energy of almighty will work through and by means of you.
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Know that with the love energy of the Divine, which is everywhere present, all things are possible. Because God is everywhere, there is no separation between you and all that exists. You are one with the Divine!  You have the power to move mountains, figuratively speaking. If you take action, you are discovering what works and what you can do without. 

Gratitude
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Give thanks for the lessons learned and apply the knowledge to gain wisdom. 

Let Go and Let God

Release all expectations and know that no matter what, you will be fine with the “love energy” of the Divine guiding you!

When you have the courage needed to trust in a higher power to provide for your needs, you will reap the manifestation of grace!
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What will you do to develop your intellect? What steps will you take to stay in integrity on your spiritual journey toward intellectual mastery?

Having a great support network is healing to the psyche. When surrounded by people who appreciate your uniqueness, your emotional health is strengthened. If you have a healthy family life, it can contribute to your overall health in so many ways.

Who do you consider your family to be? A healthy family can take different forms. If you are someone who doesn’t have any living relatives, there is no need for concern. Family is more than genetics. Your family can be composed of either blood relatives or others individuals you have adopted to be your real family! 

The Importance of Family Love:

When your family cares about you and loves you no matter what you do, it can make all the difference in the world as to what level of self-worth you experience, especially to a child. When you feel valued, you believe in yourself, and dare to take risks to achieve desired success. Your attitude has no choice but to out-picture in your reality and to affect your well-being.

No man is an island:

We all wish to belong. People flourish in community with others. But on the other hand, it is good to have some alone time. It is important to know how to set boundaries to allow for self-reflection and contemplation.

Accept yourself Amidst Criticism:

To manifest a happy life, it is important to love and accept yourself the way you are, regardless of what anyone else thinks. However, sometimes it is difficult to disregard critical and sometime hurtful words said by others that mirror their perceptions. People can be judgmental. Unfortunately, this is a fact of life, which keeps us on our toes.

If you worry about what others think, and you need to people please to feel good about yourself, happiness will evade you until you can choose to love and accept yourself, flaws and all.  What other people think of you is none of your business. Why should you disregard the thoughts of others? You should because they don’t know what you are all about. They don’t know who you really are. Only you know what you need and desire to live a self-realized and self-actualized life.

Resist the Urge to Change Others:

Yes, it feels wonderful to have friends and family approve of your actions. It isn’t a deal breaker if they don’t. You are unique and special. There is no one like you. If your family doesn’t understand you, that isn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself for their misunderstandings. Love them the way they are, and let go of trying to make them agree with you. Stop trying to, change them.

Show Love through Active Listening:

A loving family that listens attentively, and authentically cares about your well-being, will understand even if they disagree with you. Their love and support will help ingrain feelings of happiness into the essence of your being. However, if your parents fail to guide and love you when you are young, feelings of sadness and emptiness can affect your self-worth.

Teach children Healthy Habits:

When parents take the initiative to help their children form healthy habits, they improve their children’s chances for success. Once a child experiences the benefits, this sets the stage for a strong foundation of health to be built on an unconscious level. The parent’s actions help strengthen the child’s self-confidence. Peers and other family members are more prone to enjoy the child’s company when the child takes the initiative to be responsible for normal accepted behaviors like brushing teeth, wearing clean clothes, keeping their room clean, and performing weekly chores.

Establish Expectations to Guide Children:

 If parents teach ethical behaviors, set boundaries, and create consequences for actions taken, children become motivated to reach the desired reward. It is important for parents to follow through and deal out the just rewards to establish an internal understanding of expectations.

Children who develop strong values are able to navigate the ups and downs of life with more optimism than those who haven’t. Once kids learn how attitude shapes their choices, they can consciously use mindfulness practices to calm and focus, enabling them to choose actions that are for the highest good of all. It is essential for them to understand the meaning of words like self-esteem, self-confidence, self-worth, and integrity, to name a few. When they understand these ideas, they become motivated to make better choices.

The power of intention is not to be underestimated. Everyone in a family needs to understand how their actions affect others. Every thought, word, and deed you facilitate, helps to create your world. It is up to you as to whether you will choose to courageously travel the high road of integrity, or the low road paved with a truckload of fearful beliefs that manifest in the form of bad behavior. When you embody the courage to do the right thing when no one is looking, you are taking control with the intent to do that which is helpful and not harmful. If you or someone else makes a mistake, it is important to move on without anger.

Teach Children to Forgive Others:

Forgiveness is crucial to attaining the ability to feel good about yourself and others. When you can forgive, you are able to see the Christ within yourself or in those who hurt you. In other words, you are able to recognize that the Divine is everywhere present, manifested as love, intelligence, and energy in all that exits.

Teach the Importance of Gratitude:

Children who are grateful and appreciate everything, can sense your sincerity and positivity. When thankful, your focus is on what is going right rather than on what is wrong. Doing this builds energy within, rather than weakening your overall sense of self.

Children who learn these concepts early on are more likely to make good decisions and to not act out irresponsibly, as often. They are more likely to learn quickly from their mistakes and to resolve problems in a more positive way.

If individual family members are strong, the family unit will benefit, and as a result, the unit will become reinforced and more capable of surviving the trials and tribulations of growing up.

All members of the family will develop a healthy self-image, if they make choices that are for the highest good of all concerned. As long as they do the best they can do in all areas in their lives, they will know that they have tried their best with the most honorable of intentions.

Parental Involvement in the Life of a Child:

Parents that get involved in the lives of their children, develop a closer connection. The experience of a parent caring for their child through hands on activities can contribute toward helping him or her to become more well-balanced and confident. When parents model good behaviors, children emulate what they see, which helps them to make better decisions. Through actions such as these, a parent/child bond develops to bring both together in an harmonious fashion. With a close relationship between mother and child established, both feel emotionally supported in so many ways. This bond helps to build the emotional intelligence needed for the child to function at a high level throughout the many challenges in life.

With a strong family base, the health of each individual member is enhanced when backed by loving relationships. When a family cares about each individual member and acknowledges their specialness, life becomes easier and more enjoyable to navigate. Each person is appreciated for their unique qualities and is nurtured to help insure their continual success.

Working Together Insures Mutual Success:

Every family has their own way of dealing with the many issues that manifest in life. The goal is to work together for mutual success. When life doesn’t happen according to plan, families learn to adjust and to work with what they have been blessed to receive. They forgive one another when disputes occur, and make sure not to go to bed angry, if at all possible. If disrespected, they apologize and make better choices. No matter what, efforts are made to treat one another with respect. Through forgiveness, they move on while expressing gratitude and appreciation for the good they have.
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To insure harmony within the family, let go and let God guide and direct your way. Have faith and know that no matter what happens, all is in Divine right order regardless of the way things look. Whatever lessons appear, they have manifested to teach you exactly what you need to know. The intelligence of the Divine will carry you to your right and ideal place. Use your energy positively by making choices that resonate with integrity to materialize the best outcome.

So, what will you do to assure or improve the health of your family?