February isn’t called “the doldrums” for nothing!
It seems like everyone is feeling depleted of energy, joy, laughter, etc.
Many years ago, I worked in a school that formally recognized how difficult February is.
The headmaster declared February “Beat the Blahs” month and arranged one activity per week that involved the entire school. One was a fundraiser asking kids, staff, and faculty to donate pennies that were then taped through the hallways to see how many they could gather by the end of the week.
This caused a bit of excitement and fun and there was a daily tabulation to keep everyone informed.
The month ended with a Lip Sync contest that was open to anyone who wanted to participate. They had to register and submit their music. A time on a Friday afternoon was allocated for the event.
Many were cute- especially the little kids. Then there were the girls who put together a stunning dance routine to some peppy music. The headmaster seemed like he would be the highlight when he came out on stage and did a rendition of Elvis’s hit You Ain’t Nothin But a Hound Dog, sung to his hyperactive Irish Setter, Riley.
The real showstopper was a sixth-grade teacher who came out dressed as Elmer Fudd, complete with a rifle, hunting cap with flaps, and a steering wheel in his hands. He synched to the song Fire by the Pointer Sisters. But when he sang it if you are old enough to remember Elmer, his r’s came out as w’s and he sang it as Fi -wah. He brought the house down.
The release of joy ignited energy and spirit and infused the entire school for a much-needed lift of energy and fun.
Covid has forced us to be inside so long that boredom is starting to be the new normal. Our low energy may emanate from the belief that we have to be entertained or at least it’s someone else’s job to keep our interest engaged.
We still have our imaginations, we still have our acquaintances and friends, even if we don’t take to them as much as before. So here is an invitation: What are you willing to create?
Whose day could you make?
What can you send, make, deliver or who can you call to take your mind off your boredom and move past yourself into the place of generosity and gratitude? What hilarity can you muster, who can you surprise?
I hope you will reply to this with some of your own good ideas and share them with this world.
Then, when you’ve done some of these things, notice your energy, notice your spirit lifting, notice the effect of your kindness and do something nice for yourself.
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