All kinds of research has been done to see if certain kinds of people have more fun than others. The results? No particular kind of person is prone to more fun. There are lots of happy poor people and plenty of dissatisfied rich people. Race, political or religious beliefs, boy or girl, it just doesn’t seem to matter. First-world country or third-world country will have an effect, but there are plenty of happy people without three TVs and twenty pairs of shoes. It doesn’t matter who you are, how intelligent you are or where you live, everyone has the ability and is entitled to a life full of joy and happiness.
There isn’t any truth to the myth that some people deserve to have fun and some people don’t. All of us have had terrible experiences that can affect who we are today. If your list of misfortunes is longer than your neighbor’s, it doesn’t mean you are less deserving of happiness. In the United States, a citizen’s pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right. Why have we lost sight of that right? Can you imagine if lobbyists spent their time pursuing the availability of funs instead of the availability of guns?
Everybody wants to have fun, but very few people experience it on a regular basis. It makes you feel good, recharges your spiritual batteries and gives you more energy in your life. It is far more natural to be happy than to be miserable. Having fun is not an activity that breaks you away from reality; it is a way of living that helps you deal with reality. There is a common misperception that having fun is an act of self-gratification. It’s not. Having fun is your right, and as long as it isn’t detrimental to others, it is not self-gratification but an act of living in a joyous manner. Truly having fun is completely underrated and ignored in our society even though we have a natural desire and need for it.
Laughing and having fun helps your body move oxygen and nutrients around, reduces your blood pressure and heart rate and helps you deal with stress. It tightens your abdo-minal muscles, massages your internal organs, produces more T-cells, helps fight depression, aids digestion, stimulates the immune system and produces natural endorphins that provide a legal high.
Fun speaks all languages and is enjoyed by all humans. Being caught up in the spirit of fun helps you communicate better, lets you laugh at adversity, gain trust more easily and encourages you to bond with others. Frankly, it just makes you more likable, and what could be wrong with that? It will spice up your love life, your friendships and your work environment. Having fun helps you cope more effectively with life’s challenges, gives you a positive outlook, helps you tap into your creative self and gets you connected to life. It helps time fly, creates goodwill and, best of all, fun fights boredom. With all those reasons why fun is so groovy, baby, do you think it’s worth considering?
Fun is a commodity that is worshipped by some, wished for by many and completely damned by serious people. These stressed-out humans are in every walk of life and every corner of the planet. No matter what the situation is, there will be somebody who takes it too seriously. These poor souls have been sold the bill of goods that says being serious is a great way to live. There are certainly enough moments that call for people to be serious, but most of those moments don’t become serious until we decide they should. Perhaps you’re thinking, if there are so many serious specimens out there, there must be some advantage to not being fun.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of seriousness.
• Can cut down on the Christmas presents you have to buy since seriousness tends to limit the number of friends you have
• Good for serious situations (i.e., car accidents or emergencies)
• Causes frigidity, impotence, excess mucus and wrinkles
• Essential if you want people to take you very seriously
• Excellent for creating psychosomatic illnesses
• Great for ulcers, fatigue and headaches
This seriousness that society is currently experiencing comes from a long line of serious people with serious upbringings. We’re conditioned to seriousness through our culture, our jobs and our education. As we grow older, serious attitudes and beliefs solidify so that we tend to build a serious life with serious friends and serious conversations. Being a fun person does not mean you have to be any less professional in your job or less respected in your community. You’re just showing a sparkly side of you that has been repressed.
Oh, you say, but my job is serious. Whatever. There are police officers, paramedics and morticians who see more doom and gloom in a week than you do in a whole year. If you currently have a serious job, you have even more reasons to lighten up. Being a serious, stressed-out soul makes you easy prey for the forces of evil, and God knows we wouldn’t want that to happen.
Where did the seriousness come from? It’s really hard to pin down, but mostly it came from serious people, generations of them. They’ve been trying to convince people that laughing, giggling and horseplay are for children with little, undeveloped minds. Serious people try to belittle happy people, calling them weird or silly. Anybody who is having fun out of the serious box is obviously mentally challenged or totally immature.
Instead of enjoying yourself, you should be obsessed with getting more material possessions. More cars, a bigger house, more clothes, whatever. Work more serious hours on serious projects for more stupendously serious results. How many people turn fifty or sixty with a serious amount of material possessions but haven’t experienced hardly any fun? They don’t even know how to start because their lives have been consumed with acquiring and worrying about all their stuff. When they finally retire, they have lost their health and their youth.
If you are extremely serious, you may find yourself extremely unhappy. Just lighten up a little bit, just a pinch, it’s OK. Your mission is not to accomplish everything in life; it is about enjoying life no matter what happens. It’s not the person with the most toys who wins; it’s the person with the most joys who wins. You are ultimately responsible for whether you have a good time on earth or not. If you can learn to smile at whatever curveball has been thrown at you, you have discovered true success in life.
Author Ted Schredd has been a fun researcher for the past fifteen years. Ted wrote "Gramma Knows the F Word"- How adults can discover more fun in their life - to inspire people to enjoy their lives. Available at www.amazon.com - Please come and visit www.discoverfun.com
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