Here comes a series of blogs on fun. On what’s it like to have fun showing up for our work, our lives, for whatever is on our plate.

 

I get much of my inspiration and wisdom from sports. Today’s is from baseball. Witness, Johnny Cueto: chest-bumping the opposing team’s first baseman as he (Johnny) is being thrown out on his way to first. (Watch here.)
He loves baseball, loves what he does and where he is, and that’s how he shows up. Even when he’s being called out.

 

When I saw this play the other day, it went right through me. I laughed, was filled with deep appreciation, and a feeling of…safety. I couldn’t stop smiling.
And I’ve been thinking, “what if I show up to my own work, and whole life, not with, “I must do this!” ”I must do this well!” energy, but instead, with “I am this. This is what I love doing. I am having so much fun right now! ”

 

If you’re like me, you habitually put a lot of pressure on yourself. It may be because on a deep soul level, we fear being left alone and abandoned if we are not perfect, wonderful, amazing. That tends to get in the way of joy at, or sometimes even doing our work – it’s not a safe environment in which to create.  This blog series is for us.

 

Here’s what’s true. I recently showed up to an audition and did a pretty bad job. I’d prepared, but I was having a really off day. I “stunk up the room” as we in the theatre, say. I felt not so great about it, as you might imagine (insert self-flagellation and the “ughs” of embarrassment here). But, what if I apply the Johnny Cueto Way?
Imagining I swung at the ball and, oh, say, ran into my own hit ball on my way to first (which is kind of a good analogy for what happened in the room)…
Can I have the grace to enjoy that blunder? And say, “I am this. I am having so much fun right now!”
The deeper truth is, yeah, I can.  I love what I do, even when I don’t hit it out of the park. I’m here to play.

 

This month, I commit to focusing on enjoying myself, no matter what happens on the field. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. Care to join me?