Doing Things "Your Way"-Have Fun Now!
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Today is January 4th, and while most people are looking forward with eager anticipation towards what the new year will bring, I find myself looking back to the previous week. You see, New Years is my favorite holiday, as every year, as far back as I can remember, the last two weeks of December have been a time of fun and enjoyment. Every year, many old friends come in from out of town and we spend days catching up, socializing, going out to dinner, attending parties, and just really enjoying ourselves.
Of course, every year, around the evening of January 1st, I start to feel a little down. You see, January 1st is when reality starts to sink in. All the friends I don't see very often have left, it's time for all the fun to stop, and it's time to put the nose back to the grindstone.
I have always accepted that feeling as a natural outcropping of the transition from "fun" back to "work." The holidays are a time of fun, and once they end, it's back to work. This year, however, I stopped and thought about the absurdity of that thought process.
First off, I am a speaker who speaks on improv comedy. The first point in my speech is to "choose to have fun." The first chapter in my book is "Have Fun." And hear I am accepting that the time for fun is over. Smacks a little of hypocrisy, eh?
Second, I left the security of a full time job and started my own business to live life on my own terms. If that's true, then why am I letting the calendar dictate my moods and when it's ok to have fun?
Third, regardless of your occupation and regardless of whether you are an entrepreneur or full time employee (or something else) life is waaaaaaay too short to limit these amazingly positive and fun feelings to a couple of days or weeks out of the year.
Here's what I realized: I, and most people, tend to look for external occasions to experience the peaks in life. How many people only treat themselves on their birthday? How many wait until an anniversary to really show their partner just how much they love them? How many wait until January 1st to reflect and plan big changes in their lives?
This is a problem. We need to break out of this cycle and create our own fate. This cycle comes primarily from doing things "other people's way." We look at how things are supposed to be, based on what every around is doing and telling us to do, and then try to design our lives to fit into that. What we should be doing is deciding on the life we want and fit everything else into our own ideas.
The most successful people in the world were the ones who didn't blindly accept what was given but rather went out and created the reality they wanted. As Robert Kennedy said, "There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"
You don't even need to make a huge life-altering change to make this happen. Just realize that if there is something you want to do, then do it! If you are wistful for a time gone by, then do what you can to recapture it. Don't wait for a "special occasion" - it may never come.
In a way, we are all looking for permission to have fun and enjoy ourselves. Here is my holiday gift to you:
"You officially have Avish's permission to have fun and enjoy yourselves now, even though the next holiday season is 11 and 3/4 months away!"
Avish Parashar is a dynamic professional speaker who shows organizations and individuals how to get what they want using the Art and Science of improv comedy. He weaves together humorous stories, witty observations, and interactive exercises from improvisational comedy to get people laughing, learning, and motivated! Avish is most commonly called upon to deliver programs on Motivation, Sales, and Communication
For more free articles, downloads, and resources, visit http://www.AvishParashar.com
To learn how to apply the powerful principles of improv comedy to your own business or life visit http://www.ImprovforEveryone.com
