Are We Having Fun Yet?
Jenifer Madson
Everywhere we turn these days, we’re greeted with the latest reminder of how dire things are economically. In fact, I’m so certain you’ve been sufficiently inundated with this information that I won’t add my two cents on it.
What I do want to focus on is putting some fun into this dysfunctional time; encouraging you to keep your spirits up and continue your self-care, even when resources are limited.
When I went through the financial devastation some years back that I talk about in my book, I was left with no money, and a whole lot of emotional, mental, and physical needs to still fill, most of which I had become accustomed to meeting by way of my wallet.
I had really lost touch of the means to fulfillment and fun that didn’t cost anything. And I had been through such a devastating, sad experience, that it sometimes felt like I didn’t deserve to have fun–at least not until I put my life back together.
But that was me living from an “I’ll be happy when…” mentality. What I discovered was that by changing that philosophy to “I’ll be happy, then…”, that I could become successful again by being happy, not make my happiness contingent on how successful I became.
And that business crash is exactly what taught me how to do that: it forced me to get back in touch with how to be happy and content and cared for from within, in the here and now. It turned out to be one of the great blessings of my life, because I’ve now identified so many options for my happiness, that the financial winds may blow where they may, and I can still find something to smile about, be grateful for, and have fun doing.
So have some fun–be fun–and see if this craziness doesn’t get a little more bearable.
Abundant regards,
Jenifer
Jenifer Madson is a nationally renowned Financial Success Coach, author of the award-winning bestseller, A FINANCIAL MINUTE, and creator of the coaching game that’s sweeping the nation, Let’sTalk MONEY. Her unique brand of financial wisdom has been featured in media outlets across the country, including Shape Magazine, and The Nest. She is on a mission to get the whole world talking about stuff that matters, in a way that changes lives—won’t you join the game?
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:20 am
Once I realized that happiness was indeed a choice I could make, and not the result or arbitrary circumstances I had to passively sit back and hope for, my life changed significantly.
Those things that were making me unhappy were jettisoned over the side with the maniacal zeal of someone who realizes for the first time that they don’t have to keep all of the ugly sweaters Aunt Jane has been sending them for Christmas since they were 3.
Those things I could change to increase my happiness, I did. For those things I could not change, I learned how to deal with them without giving up my happiness. And since then, many of the things I’d been “waiting on” to be happy about have happened on their own - most of which I suspect would not have occurred had I remained stuck in passively-waiting unhappiness.
There are many sayings around this - luck favors the bold, G-d helps those who help themselves, success attracts success, and so on. I’m beginning to believe it is a true, natural law akin to gravity, albeit a human one. Choosing the path of happiness puts you on the path of happiness. But you have to choose first.