Leisure is not an activity, it is truly a state of mind experience. The activity in which you may usually experience leisure while participating does not always produce the same intensity or sense of optimal arousal. For example, I have been blogging about my time as a volunteer coach where I usually enjoy leisure experiences. However, in the recent past I have not exactly enjoyed leisure experiences while coaching football. This proves that an activity does not always produce leisure.
Leisure also involves a sense of intrinsic motivation. As discussed in one of my blogs, I mentioned how I have to find ways to intrinsically motivate myself to coach football. At times it is difficult to motivate yourself when frustration, carelessness of others, or other instances come to surface. If you are not motivated to do it for yourself, then how can you possibly be completely absorbed by your surroundings? Extrinsic motivation can initiate you to become involved in an activity or to continue to be involved (as mentioned in one of my blogs (Terry Evanshen)), but it is truly your intrinsic motivation that is needed to experience leisure.
Perceived freedom also plays a major role in order to experience leisure. In my last blog entry I mentioned how I felt free at the UIS 80th Anniversary Gala even though I was actually working as a DJ. I had to be there in order to uphold my business agreement, but at the same time I felt free. This is a perfect example of not necessarily truly being free, but having the perception that one is free; this also enables the potential for a leisure experience.
In order to become leisure educated one must understand what leisure is to them personally. The understanding that an activity does not necessarily reflect a leisure experience is very important in truly understanding the concept that is leisure. In studying my own leisure patterns and how I feel during my regular leisure activities, I have found that leisure is not experienced every time, but when it is experienced that I value it and enjoy it as much as anything.
I now have a better understanding of what leisure is to me and what it means in general. I am looking forward to the continuation of this blog to discover more about my leisure and leisure in general. By becoming increasingly educated in the realm of leisure, eventually I will be able to use what I have learned about myself and what I have learned through my experiences to potentially help educate others with their leisure lives. Potentially...
