Introducing Life: Have Fun

Don’t you just love being around happy, positive people? I know I do.

Unmotivated, negative folks sap our energy. They steal our joy and put a dent in our day.

If we’re constantly exposed to attitudes of discontent, our own attitudes begin to reflect the same.

Because by nature I’m a helper, I tend to want to “fix things.” I want to solve the problem or at least make things better.

The reality is that some people and situations can’t be “fixed” by us. We have to move past the notion that our bags of fairy dust won’t work on all individuals. God has to direct those folks’ paths and we may, or may not, be part of that equation.

 

Many years ago, I was in a writing group with a woman I’ll refer to as Jackie.

 

Jackie was, to put it bluntly, a sourpuss. Nothing ever suited her. The refreshments weren’t her taste, the speakers held no appeal, and the meetings were a waste of time. People in our group began to avoid her. She’d developed a reputation. And, obviously,  it wasn’t the kind that spoke softness and light.

 

I remember thinking on more than one occasion Well, at least she doesn’t sit near me so maybe I’ll never be in her line of fire.

 

One Saturday, I was running a wee bit late to my writing group. Thankfully, there was one seat left when I arrived. It was a great spot next to the speaker’s podium. Right next to one of the refreshment trays. And smack dab next to Jackie.

 

Jackie greeted me in her usual happy-go-lucky fashion as I slid in the chair beside her.

 

“Hope they send in another pot of coffee. We’ll need it to stay awake for this,” she whispered, loud enough for me and several others nearby to hear.

 

I cringed.

 

Our speaker that day was one of our local authors, a beloved teacher, and a friend to all. (She’d not yet returned from the Ladies Room, so blessedly, she didn’t hear Jackie’s cutting remark.)

 

Throughout the presentation, Jackie made a habit of glancing at her watch, fiddling with an ink pen, and even doodling on her notepad. At one point, she sketched a mighty fine line up of cartoon characters–on the front page of the speaker’s handout!

 

I tried to avert my gaze and concentrate on my own sheaf of papers, but I was completely mortified. What if Annie Author happens to glance over the podium and sees Jackie’s handiwork?

 

I didn’t want the speaker to judge the whole lot of us by the insensitivity of one.

 

Though that never happened, at least to my knowledge, my attention was diverted the entire time by Jackie’s antics. To this day, I don’t remember much of what the speaker said. I believe her presentation followed her handouts, so maybe I didn’t lose too much.

 

The irony that day was this: At the close of the meeting, Jackie quickly gathered her papers, and leaned around me to whisper to a fellow member, “You know, you can always tell when people don’t have enough fun in their lives. It resonates in just about everything they do.”

 

I couldn’t have agreed more.

 

If we’re to live the kind of fun-filled life that God intends, I believe it’s necessary to:

 

• Develop a positive life-philosophy. One where negativity rarely shares the limelight.

 

• Be proactive. Think like a winner.

 

• Practice patience. Recognize perspectives differ.

 

• Realize lightheartedness is a choice. Even when life doles out persimmons.

 

******

Can you recall a “Jackie” circumstance?

How do you make life fun? 

Photo Credit: imagerymajestic/FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

Blessings Always,