What a pleasure it is to be around people who are fun. Not the silly, goofy, loud, always-joking-around kind of people. They can be annoying. I’m talking about the people who smile, who are optimistic, who have the gift of finding a little humor even in difficult situations, and who make the time you spend with them enjoyable. They make you glad that you were in their presence, and you feel more energized, happier, and more positive just from having been with them.
A wonderful story is told about Theodore Roosevelt. The day of his funeral, as the ceremonial procession moved slowly and solemnly along Pennsylvania Avenue, there was a policeman standing on a street corner. As the funeral procession passed by him, he began to quietly laugh, shaking his head and chuckling to himself.
The man standing next to him was shocked by what he perceived to be the policeman’s insensitive behavior. He couldn’t believe the disrespect that he observed. In anger, he turned to the policeman and said, “How can you laugh at a time like this? How can you have so little respect for this great man? Surely, you did not know him.”
“On the contrary,” answered the policeman, “I knew him very well. I served with him during the Spanish-American War. We rode up San Juan Hill together, and I was just thinking that it was such fun being led by him.”
Is that what people would say about you? Is it fun being led by you? Is it fun to have you in the family? Is working with you fun? Do you smile? Are you optimistic? To you look for the positive in negative situations?
Starting today, why not make an effort to be a little more fun. Stop whining, griping, and complaining. Stop being angry, negative, petty, and self-centered.
You see, when you’re “fun”, you add energy, enthusiasm, and enjoyment not only to your life but also to the lives of those with whom you live and work. And maybe that’s a small contribution that each of us can make to helping this old world be a better place.
Copyright 2016
