Focus on Fun

By Bob Cox

A couple of weeks ago, I was having one of those days where nothing seemed to be going right. I was frustrated about practically everything in my life and my business. I felt like no matter how many steps forward I had taken; there was some annoying force that was pulling back to square one. When I came home for lunch, my wife Diana immediately knew something was wrong, so for the next 30 minutes I vented like a raving lunatic about how much my life sucked.

Fortunately, Diana gave me the best possible advice when she insisted that I take the rest of the afternoon off, cool down and take a break from my plight. I’ve done it the other way many times, resolved and determined to not quit and forcing myself go back out in spite of being caught up in a negative mood. Sometimes, I’ve been able to straighten myself out, but more often than not my negativity works just like a magnet, bringing in even more reasons to be frustrated. Boy, do I hate when that happens!

I followed Diana’s suggestion and within a few minutes, I was feeling lighter, peaceful and more balanced. That’s when I realized that I had been sabotaging myself again. I had been obsessing about what I didn’t have and wanted (more revenue), which is something I could not control, while losing sight of the one thing I could control…my thoughts. The thing that brings me real joy and success in my business is when I let go of all the heavy financial expectations and responsibilities and focus on just one thing that I can be genuinely enthusiastic about and then have fun sharing my light hearted enthusiasm with others.

So, what was that one thing I got really get excited about that turned a lemon of a day into lemonade? That’s easy; it’s our new fun guide and community events calendar! It’s really hard to stay in a bad mood whenever I’m sharing our fun guide and events calendar with other business owners. More often than not, I see the person’s mood brighten as they review all the great attractions we have right here in our beautiful city. I’ve especially enjoyed describing some of the lesser known attractions that many people have never heard of but would love to learn more about and eventually explore!

Sharing our new fun guide reminds me of my days in college, when I worked part-time delivering flowers. Whenever I’d be out making a delivery, everyone was always happy to see me. On many occasions, they would playfully ask if the flowers where for them. What I’m doing now is even better, because the fun guide is a gift not just for a few lucky slobs, but for everyone I meet!

If you find yourself having one of those days, follow Diana’s advice. If it’s possible, take a break from the world by avoiding other people or situations that could make matters worse. Once you start to feel better, take a few slow deep breaths, open up your mind and focus on just one thing in your life that you can be genuinely excited about. If you can’t come up with anything, try exploring our new fun guide and events calendar. Once you have your idea in mind, share your enthusiasm with the people you trust. Once you get them on board and excited, ride the wave of momentum and share it with everyone you want. What could you do if you really want to have some great fun? Try sharing our fun guide with your friends and family and then be prepared to be amazed. The positive transformation you’ll see and feel in yourself and others may be more fun than you ever dreamed possible!