After taking some time to remember what the memorial day is truly about, I also found myself thinking:
I hope the guys did something fun too!
People like to say: “Memorial Day isn’t just a fun day off of work.”
True, we should take advantage of the time to pause, remember, and reflect.
But I’ve been realizing something important:
A lot of men are really bad at having fun.
⚡️ F5 Fast Files - Short Summary
When did Fun become a guilty pleasure?
Burnout grows when life only consists of responsibility.
What’s your thing?
Your value is not tied to production.
🥳 Why is “Fun” one of the F’s?
I get asked this all the time.
Why did we choose Faith, Family, Fitness, Finance …and Fun?
Why not another “serious” word?
Why not Freedom?
Focus?
Fortitude?
Well.
Fun represents Living! It represents Joy!
“We are not human doings, we are human beings.”
I know I need fun in my life, and I think a lot of men desperately do too.
🤔 Enjoy Responsibly?
Most of us are pretty good at responsibility.
Work.
Providing.
Grinding.
Sacrificing.
We love the image of the rugged cowboy type.
The hard-working dad.
The guy who never stops moving.
I get it.
I really do.
Pushing myself physically and mentally has shaped my life in a lot of positive ways.
But at some point I have to ask:
What about the part where we actually get to LIVE life?
Immediately this scripture comes to mind:
“Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy.”
Not just survive.
Not just perform.
Not just produce.
Joy.
😮💨 Men Feel Guilty Having Fun
In this week’s Fire Team discussion, one guy said:
“I just always feel bad having fun.”
Anyone else? 🙋♂️
Does rest feel like laziness?
Did fun start feeling irresponsible?
I think a lot of men secretly feel that.
You finally get a free Saturday and think:
“I should probably be doing something productive.”
Or:
“If I go hiking, now my wife has to watch the kids all day.”
Or:
“I should invest that money instead.”
If you got hit by the proverbial bus tomorrow, did you do a good enough job having fun?
🔥 What Fun Is NOT
Let me clarify something.
I’m not talking about escapism
Not doom scrolling
Not avoiding responsibility.
Honestly, not even personal development!
The gym is great.
Business books are great.
Side hustles are great.
That’s not what I mean.
I’m talking about that thing that genuinely makes you feel alive.
The thing that energizes you.
The thing you’d still want to do even if it made you:
no money
no progress
no status
For some guys that’s biking
For others it’s hiking.
Soccer.
Fishing.
Camping.
Music.
With people or without people.
What’s your thing?
❤️ Your Value Is NOT Tied to Achievement
Your value is not tied to achievement. Read it again.
As if every waking moment needs to be productive, somewhere along the line many of us started believing, “If I stop producing, I stop mattering.”
Is that why we feel so guilty having fun?
Yes:
Work hard.
Serve your family.
Build meaningful things.
Push yourself.
But don’t forget to live while you’re building your life.
You are more than your output.
God didn’t create you only to produce.
He created you to experience:
joy
connection
meaning
presence
LIFE
Maybe that’s why “Fun” belongs in F5 after all.
Not because life is one giant vacation…
…but because joy is part of becoming whole.
Justin
F5 Brotherhood
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