WOW Word-Of-the-Week #416: Enjoyment
July 25, 2012 by Susan Clarke
Enjoyment – the pleasure felt when having a good time.
How much enjoyment are you experiencing in your life? Do you have a good time at work? How about at home? Are you able to find enjoyment in the simple pleasures of life?
I was featured in Sarita’s July What do you say Communique‘ monthly e-newsletter. She titled it, “Are You Having FUN Yet?” Since this week is the 8th Anniversary of my WOW’s it seemed only fitting to share it.
Sarita writes, “We sometimes spend lots of energy trying to fix or change negative situations that are really beyond our control. (ie–corporate decisions, the economy)
Instead, it would be a better use of our time to find ways to counteract the negativity by focusing on creating more of ‘what provides amusement or enjoyment’ (Webster Dictionary definition of FUN).
My colleague Susan Clarke, CFO (Chief FUN Officer) of FUN-damentals.com says it best: “Fun is riding the teeter totter on the playground of life. There will always be ups and downs. Hold on and enjoy the ride!”
” Sarita’s 12 Tips for ‘Enjoying the Ride.'”
1. Make peace with your past so it doesn’t spoil all the fun in your future.
2. Don’t try to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
3. Each day do something nice for someone.
4. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what they’ve been through.
5. Develop a network of friends to support you in “enjoying the ride.”
6. Don’t take yourself so seriously…keep a sense of humor.
7. Use your “resiliency resources.” i.e. – spend time doing your favorite activities
8. Smile. Laugh. Play.
9. Create a list of FUN things to do, then start doing them.
10. Don’t take things personally. It’s usually NOT about you.
11. Ask for what you want. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
12. Remember…no one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Copyright 2012 Sarita Maybin. All rights reserved.
This week’s focus is on enjoyment. Are you “enjoying the ride?” What pleasures do you relish? Which of the 12 tips could you start doing to ensure a FUN ride?
Sarita’s book, “If You Can’t Say Something Nice, What DO You Say? is available on Amazon.com.
Reader Responses
“No. 6 sounds like my “life is too serious to be too serious.” – Ralph
“It is up to us to find that enjoyment – EVERY DAY. If we don’t, it is no one’s fault but our own. So, we have to go for it. It starts with a smile and a good attitude. I know I look forward to seeing my coworkers and finding enjoyment in our conversations. It is important to make the time for enjoyment. In terms of doing something nice for someone, I make an effort to remember what my friends and family members enjoy and then send something. Most times it will be just sending an anniversary card or a birthday card to them or their children. When I do that, I feel a goodness right in the center of my chest. Maybe it is because I am sending out positive vibes to the universe. Especially when it is a birthday wish for children. I’m sure that getting mail in their mailbox is a big deal. I know that it was for me when I was a kid. When our family traveled to Pentwater, MI, last month, I never turned on my cellphone. It was such a good feeling to leave behind the noise and simply relax and find enjoyment in the sand, surf and breeze. I don’t make a list of things that I want to do. That is being too conscious. I try to leave enough room for spontaneity in this area of my life, and then when the opportunity presents itself I try to take advantage of it. The Moody Blues have a song I enjoy entitled “Are You Sitting Comfortably?” which is what I sometimes think of when I am sitting in our backyard with a cup of coffee, simply watching a woodpecker atop the telephone poll in the park. Or a robin calling out for another robin on the telephone wire. It is in these very simple things of life that I find enjoyment. Great word, Susan. Keep up the great work. I will give you a report on the James Taylor concert at Ravinia on Saturday night. Take care.” – “Warrior” Joe