Ready for something fun?
Thursday, April 5th, 2007I just discovered a very wise, and very fun little piece on the web that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. It’s called The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun. And I love it. Take a look at it now, and then come back for a little discussion.
Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Isn’t it great?
Let’s talk a little about what it takes to really apply those principles in your life so that we can have a LOT more fun.
1. Stop hiding who you really are:
That’s sooooooooooo important. The problem is, how do we really know who we really are? How do we find it out? We have been conditioned by everything around us since we were 1 minute old, so how do we know if our thoughts, emotions, actions, wishes, desires, etc. are really ours?
This morning, for exmaple, I yawned in a particular way (in five bursts at descending notes, like mi-re-do…). Then, I immediately had a flash-back, and I remembered that my grandfather used to yawn in exacly the same way. So, I was just repeating his behaviour– it wasn’t really my own.
But how many behaviours do I have like that? And how many thoughts, opinions, desires do i have that are also inherited from other influences (family, education, media, etc.)? And, how do I tell which of these thoughts, desires, behaviors, etc. are really mine?
In order to stop hiding who you really are, you first have to discover who you really are– and that is a challenge in itself.
2. Start being intensely selfish:
Absolutely. Don’t waste your limited time and energy on things that do not matter. Of course, being selfish in this case means fulfilling your true purpose. So, random acts of generosity may be part of your true purpose (as it is part of mine). So I selfishly practice my policy of being generous. Which, when you understand the way things work in nature, you’ll know that you will always get back more than you give.
3. Stop following the rules:
Other than gravity, there are some other Natural Laws that should be learned and followed (or else there will be consequences in Nature), but the man-made rules are negotiable. In fact, they change all the time. So, learn the Natural laws and develop and follow your own internal compass (which you will as you know yourself better).
4. Start scaring yourself:
Amen. Nothing wothwhile is achieved without an element of risk. And risk, for most of us, brings along a healthy dose of fear. If we can’t overcome the fear and get outside of our comfort zones, then we are essentially trapped by the boundaries of that “comfort zone”. Our fears have become the walls of a self-imposed prison. So, break out and face your fears– you won’t regret it.
5. Stop taking it all so seriously:
Boy, this list is genious. Absolutely on the mark again. Taking things too seriously fixes us in the drama of our lives. We start to miss the forest for the trees, so to speak. Whenver we’re upset, we lose perspective of the big picture. How important is this thing that is upsetting us, really? What are we missing by focusing all of our attention on this upsetting thing? More importantly, what are we attracting (more upset)?
It’s important to remember to relax, breathe and stay in the present moment no matter what happens to us. It will help us to find a solution much faster than if we allow ourselves to get all worried and upset.
6. Start getting rid of the crap:
Create order in your life. Anything that makes your life heavy and chaotic is entropic (meaning, it drains your energy). Entropy only create obstacles to achieving what you want and being happy. Try to avoid creating entropy in your life (whether through people, situations, actions, etc.).
Ask yourself (about everything in your life): Does this help me serve my purpose and be the best me that I can be? Be honest.
7. Stop being busy:
“Being busy is seductive.” So, so true. I fall into this trap all the time. It makes us feel important to be so busy, doesn’t it? But being busy also causes us to lose “the big picture.” We get so busy that we lose the present moment and we may even lose our direction. Be active (not passive), but avoid being “busy”.
8. Start something:
“Don’t wait for permission to do what you want to do. Just start!” Wow, I love this. Be proactive. Follow your bliss, and all that. I couldn’t agree more.
That piece made me really happy. It isn’t so easy to follow those principles, however. We have to overcome a lot of routine habits.
If you are interested in learning real techniques to follow the principles above, check out my book, 360° Success.
And don’t forget to have fun.
BUGAGA…