“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” ~ Dale Carnegie
Steve Jobs famously said, “I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.'”
My suggestion for a second question we should ask ourselves each morning is this: “Am I having fun?”
Now, some of you just leaned in with excitement, tails wagging, thinking, “Yeah! Right! I should do that! FUN! Bring on more fun!” Others are sitting with furrowed brows, maybe a tad slumped, feeling a combination of irritation and longing.
The mocking inner voice whispers, “Yeah, sure. I’ll get right on that after I handle my mile-long list of commitments and concerns, worries over cash flow, and keeping my team on track.”
The truth is we are both of these people, sliding into one or another throughout each day. Not unlike a wave and a particle, we are multiple, potential future expressions of ourselves in each moment.
When shackled to the limiting beliefs of our minds, we remain glued to our past. However, if we can transcend our addiction to our attachment to our old hurts, our old scripts, our old thinking, and the patterns on repeat each day of our lives, we can flip the switch of possibilities in our favor.
That is, if we awaken to our current state as we are experiencing it, we have a powerful ally in creating our desired Future Self.
Our barometer is simple: We ask ourselves, “How do I feel?” If our reading is somewhere on the continuum of Blah to Total Crap, we know we have an opportunity to change things.
Now, here is where things become really interesting.
As I learn more about breaking the habit of being myself, I am gathering up a basket of ingredients, tools, experiences, ways of thinking, and ways of no thinking that help me transmute the state of stuck and pain to a state of harmony, connection, and vibrancy.
And wouldn’t you know that one of the major ingredients in the Recipe of a Kickass Life and Business is having more fun?
Take a look around. Whose life do you envy? Who seems to be gliding through each day, magically attracting what they want? Who is the center of attention online and in real life without seemingly even trying?
I am willing to bet this person, regardless of her or his life on paper (that is, the size of their bank account, how their butt looks in their jeans, their love life or lack thereof, their entrepreneurial success or lack thereof), she or he is making sure having fun is front and center each day.
If we know this on some level already, why are we so bad at it?
Old habits of obligation, duty, and our odd addiction to experiencing anxiety die hard.
Happily, there are multiple cures.
If we wake ourselves up and begin paying attention to the jolts of Fun Energy tapping lightly on our hearts and inviting us to play, we can begin to choose a life of Allowing over Efforting. We can begin skipping over the drudgery of hauling ourselves toward certain gray and soulless goals, and enjoy spontaneous, quantum leaps into the lives we passionately desire.
The trick is to be on notice for those gentle taps upon our hearts. Those invitations to answer the calls to adventure. If we slide into being unconscious, the opportunities will come and go, leaving us on the shore of sameness.
The other night, I had a dream about a Greek Island I saw from the deck of a boat over 30 years ago. When I woke, I thought about my dream and in an instant, made a choice to have some fun. I then shook off my left brain’s chatter of all the reasons why it was not a practical idea and posted on Facebook my decision to go for it.
Here is my verbatim Facebook post:
I remember the first time I saw this beauty of an island from the deck of a docking ferry boat from Corfu. I was on my way to Ios (a nearby island) and so did not disembark. But I was captivated by quiet, stunning Paros.
That was 1987. I’ve always wanted to return.
I dreamt I was in Paros last night. As gorgeous as the island was in my mind’s eye, it was how I felt there that gripped me. The lightness of being. The tickling knowing of unfettered possibility and passion. The perfect place to dream and create.
And so, I’m going! If memory serves, late May is a great time to visit.
If the Aegean Sea, the Magic of Greece, and mining the depths of your creativity are calling YOU, too, let’s go on a #CreativeRebelsVoyage together! I’m keeping this small and intimate. Up to 4 of us only.
One week. A transformational experience. Where Joy + Creativity Meet Business Growth.
We will enjoy the best of island living, dine exceedingly well, dance, swim, soak in the lovely Greek hospitality, play, explore, and delve into our creative projects (could be your book, a new or evolved version of a business plan, a new service or product launch, or simply and powerfully freeing YOU to do the work you came here to do).
I have none of the details worked out as I literally just dreamt this up, LOL. But, if you’ve got a gnawing knowing this could be the very experience your soul is craving, let me know.
Email me at susie@innovationcompass.com if this adventure is speaking to you, and we will make it happen! ❤️⛵️
Now, importantly, we do not have to choose a Greek adventure to have fun. We can spice up our lives with giant scoops of Joy in the most simplest of ways. What’s important is only that we awaken enough to feel the longing and then respect it enough to soothe it with experiences that transport us.
Let’s make a habit of Fun. Let’s routinely look in the mirror and ask ourselves: What would this project, business, creative expression, and LIFE look like if it were easy, fun, and simple?
