Have Fun
Regular readers will remember how much I enjoy reading the Sunday supplements, the small magazines that come with the Sunday newspapers. I particularly enjoy reading the short biographical stories about television and movie stars. I enjoy the stories of how they achieved success, how they live, and how they work. I was struck by a recent interview with an actress in a successful television series. She spoke, in passing, about the skills of her co-workers, the good scripts and the good luck that forms a part of any success story. But the most important thing to her and, she implied, the most important reason for the series' success was that she and her fellow workers have fun in doing their jobs. As I look at successful people I know, they seem to have fun in what they're doing. Maybe fun is the key.
Having fun means different things to different people. Some people enjoy active sports, others arm-chair travel. Some enjoy cross-word puzzles, others video games. Some enjoy crowds, others solitude. Fun is enjoyment. We can all enjoy something, if we let ourselves. And there's something to enjoy in every situation, something amusing wherever we go.
I've noted before that to be serious about one's life challenges, in work, play and personal relationships, does not mean to be grim. We can be light-hearted, pleasant, smiling in dealing with serious matters. Being grim does not make the task easier, does not signal the importance we attach to the situation. We can laugh at our problems while being completely serious about solving them. We can have fun in the most difficult situations.
If we approach the world with a scowl, if we cower before challenges, if we view everything as a chore, we add to our stress, we make the lives of others around us more difficult, we make problems more difficult. If we view life as grim, we make it grim. If we can approach other people with generosity and a light-hearted spirit, if we can strive to smile at difficult situations, if we can look for fun wherever we go, we will do a better job: A better job in work, a better job in games, a better job in interpersonal relationships, a better job in helping others.
Have fun with everything you do. Be serious but playful. Smile through difficult times. Don't be afraid to laugh when others frown. You'll feel better and so will the people around you.
11-17-03
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