In my personal experience, having fun depends on the way you feel when you’re doing something. I can’t go up to someone and tell them I’m genuinely having fun unless I feel happy and joyful. You might “think” you’re having fun if you’re with a group and everyone seems to be having fun too, but it’s probably just you trying to conform with the group. Fun really depends on your individual feelings and can’t be dictated by anything else.
The most important thing about having fun is that you do not do it for other people. You have fun because you want to. You engage in the activities you enjoy and have fun with the people you want to be around. I think that another part of having fun is that it is genuine – you aren’t just having fun to look like you’re enjoying something.
This is a topic that is near and dear to the hearts of my readers, researchers, and website visitors. So much so that one of them were kind enough to share their own personal opinions. I don’t claim to be the best interviewer in the world, but I do promise some good, raw, and honest answers from normal people like you and me. I do my best to NOT filter these answers, except for the bad words and hateful speech.
With that little blurb out of the way, let’s dive right into the juicy bits of (potentially) life-changing insights.
Current Topic: Having Fun
‘R’ = Richard N. Stephenson (me!) ‘I’ = Interviewee (anonymous by request unless otherwise noted)
[This interview is inspired and fueled by research done for my book: Staying Motivated at Work.]
R: What would someone really get out of this?
I: One of the biggest benefits of having fun is the relief of stress from all the times that you’re NOT having fun. Laughter itself is a well known factor for good health. Having an evening of fun is almost guaranteed to bring a good night’s sleep. Worries seem less important and life is just a lot nicer when there’s good fun to be had.
R: Think about the topic for a bit – describe what’s so special about it for most folks?
I: Having fun could certainly change someone’s life because fun activities or hobbies that create a certain level of happiness or euphoria are certain to oppose negative feelings and emotions. If someone is consistently unhappy or feeling some other negative emotion, participating in a fun activity would improve their life because the negative emotions would be less prevalent. If someone is consistently unhappy and yet has the ability to go swimming, which is an activity that is fun and makes them happy, they should pursue that activity whenever possible.
R: Explain what about this subject could help people be just all around better.
I: Life is a very stressful thing at times. If we get overwhelmed with stress we are not going to be our best. By having fun one can relieve some of the stress which can make them be at their best.
R: At the end of the day, who would you pick to be the best at doing what matters most regarding this topic?
I: An improve comedian is best at having fun; they have to have a fun personality and creative mindset in order to perform improve comedy. They are free to state anything that they think is funny without fear of saying the wrong thing. They excel at showing how good they are at having fun for an audience.
R: Provide us with an example of what kind of person is better of never talking about this subject ever again.
I: A person who is the worst at having fun would be a “Debbie Downer” type of person who never sees the bright side of life and always has a relatively depressed mood. A person who also is afraid to laugh at him or herself and life would also not be good at having fun. A person who was afraid to embraces himself and to let loose also would be unsuccessful at having fun.
R: Think of your daily routine – how does this topic fit into the overall scheme of things?
I: I would work for an entertainment company or become an entertainer. Most entertainers seem to like having fun and that is why the paparazzi and fans are always following them. I would change my work focus to the entertainment field to make having fun a part of my life.
R: When is a pretty good time to start paying more attention to this topic?
I: It can be wise at times to plan your fun, especially if you are feeling stressed out. Fun is supposed to be spontaneous. This can be forgotten in today’s busy times and so it can be planned to reduce stress..
R: When’s just a really bad time to be working on this subject?
I: An inappropriate time to bring “having fun” into your life is when a loved one or close friend has passed away.You have lost your job.You’ve never had a job to begin with and you’re not trying to better yourself.
R: Where in people’s daily lives do you think this topic would fit in nicely?
I: The best place to make having fun part of your daily life is anywhere that you can relax. If a place stresses you out (like work), work is not a place to think about having fun. Home is a good place to have fun. If you have a family, the family room is a good place. Alternatively, you might like going to the beach.
Usually, separating yourself from usual places and routine makes having fun part of your daily life. Also, after responsibilities are done is a good time to make having fun part of your life, because you’ll enjoy it more when your work is done.
R: Can you explain a place (or places) where you just wouldn’t even consider using this topic in your life?
I: The worst place to have fun would be in an unsafe area of town because something may happen to you.The worst place to have fun would be in a low class club because a fight may break out.The worst place to have fun is in an overcrowded club because a fire might happen and you may not get out safely.
R: Who’s someone (or group) you think could gain a bunch from learning more about this topic?
I: The U.S. Republican party. I think the general consensus amongst the common voter is that their distant and inaccessible from the regular voter. For example, I feel that the Mitt Romney going about his normal personal life buying groceries was far more likable than the all-business persona that he portrayed during his bid for the U.S. presidency. I think opening up and having fun would be beneficial to how the public perceives them.
R: Describe at least one thing you would recommend to someone looking into this topic more.
I: My advice for this type of question is always to just be yourself. This means to be comfortable with those around you and if they don’t care for you then it was not meant for you to be close friends with this group. Inversely, it means do not do things you are uncomfortable doing. Ultimately, if you can’t be yourself, then you’re not going to have much fun.
R: Give the readers an example of the biggest pitfall for this topic.
I: When having fun, the number one thing someone should avoid is doing so at the expense of others. I am referring to mischievous fun such as smashing mailboxes or other forms of vandalism. There are plenty of other ways to go out and have fun in life, and many of those actually benefit society as a whole. There is no reason to cause harm for the sake of fun.
R: What’s the very next step someone should take to learn more about this topic?
I: If you want to make having fun a bigger part of your life, you have to schedule time to do things that interest you, outside of your career. Try things that you never thought of doing, and you will find that some of them are really interesting to you. For example, I recently took a painting class, which I never thought of doing, because a person I think is cute invited me. It turns out that I enjoy being creative on a canvas, and I will be going back and having fun.
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Thank you for reading this personal journey into becoming a better person and having a better future ahead of you. I hope you enjoyed this interview conversation and found golden nuggets you can immediately apply to your daily life.
If you want to get more productivity (and fulfillment!) out of your work, career, and life through being more motivated, then check out Staying Motivated at Work.
Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or personal life-changing wisdom below.