I took my “first” stand-up comedy class this past week. I NEVER thought I would EVER write those words! You see, I view myself as an extremely hard working, serious, responsible business owner and family man. I do not see myself as “funny,” although I’m not opposed to having fun. But, sometimes the many challenges of today’s world can get in the way of this. In my class the students were asked a number of questions as a way to tap into a potential comedy act. “What do you worry about” was one of the questions. My answer was the current state of the world and the effects it is having on the mental health of others. A number of my classmates validated this concern by answering the question by saying “they are concerned about their mental health.” OMG! I have had a number of recent meeting with business leaders who have commented that people (including their staff, vendors and customers), seem to be more anxious, on edge with a shorter fuse since the pandemic. I found the same thing with my staff and reminded them of one of our Core Values (FUN) in my weekly newsletter. We define “FUN” in our Core Values as follows:
“Keep things “FUN”. Remember that the world has bigger problems than the daily challenges that make up our work. Stuff happens. Keep perspective. Don’t take things personally or take yourself too seriously. Laugh every day. Celebrate Success. Catch people doing things right is more effective than catching them doing things wrong. Create and have FUN while accomplishing goals.”
Life can be tough, it is not for the faint of heart. I get it. BUT, life is also meant to be lived! We only get one. So we might as well have some fun along the way? PLEASE don’t forget to have some – FUN! Maybe try a fun “first” like a stand-up comedy class?