The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun

The lovely folks over at Box of Crayons have a lot in common with Write In Color: 1) a love for color (as seen above and on their website) and a proactive, creative approach to life and work. They’ve put together a whimsical slideshow that in eight, succinct rules describes how to live a happier, more productive and more meaningful life. The slideshow is a bit long, so for you’re convenience I’ve transcribed the text below (although I do recommend watching the video at some point — the graphics are super fun). My personal favorite is Rule 8 (because it was when I realized this rule on my own that Write In Color was born).

The 8 Irresistible Principles of Fun:

1.    Stop hiding who you really are

Take time to figure out what makes your DNA When it comes down to it, what do you stand for? And then, when you know who you are, turn up the volume!

“Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else.” –Judy Garland, Actress***

2.    Start being intensely selfish

Get hungry for the things that are truly important to you. Think of the people you respect and love, the moments you relish, the impact that you want to have, the legacy you want to leave… bottom line: don’t waste your time on anything else.

“When you come right down to it, all you have is yourself. All the rest is nothing.”
-Pablo Picasso, Artist

3.    Stop following the rules

With the exception of gravity, almost all of the rules are negotiable. Someone just makes them up. It’s no longer about what you can’t do, it’s about what you can do.

“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” -Katherine Hepburn, Actress

4.    Start scaring yourself

Explore the edges. Dip your toe in the bold, the outrageous, and the unthinkable. Seek out and have adventure.

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Biter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful.”

-Ernest Shackleton, Explorer

5.    Stop taking it all so damn seriously

In this moment, is it a life or death decision? In ten years, will you remember what you’re fretting about? In 100 years, will anyone care? So lighten up, this too will pass.

“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” -Elbert Hubbard, Publisher

6.    Start getting rid of the crap

Think of all the stuff that’s weighing you down and getting in the way. Not just the things, but also the habits, the memories, the attitudes, the people. Get rid of that clutter.

Knowledge is a process of piling up facts, wisdom lies in their simplification.”  -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Civil Rights Leader

7.    Stop being busy

Being busy is seductive. Just because you’re going flat out, doesn’t mean you’re on the right track. If it’s the wrong hole, you need to stop digging

We’re lost, but we are making good time.” -Yogi Berra, Baseball Philosopher

8.    Start something

Don’t wait any longer for permission to do what you want to do. There are always reasons to procrastinate just a little longer. Enough. Just start!

When all is said and done, a lot more is said than done.” -Lou Holtz, Sports Coach

Have a rule of your own to add? Share it with us.

 

***Interesting update — May 19, 2015 — We received an email this week from a lovely reader who sent this blog post recently to a client of his. She advised us that the quote that is often attributed to Judy Garland should actually be attributed to French pianist Nadia Boulanger. She explained,

The original source in the early 1930s was a French pianist by the name of Nadia Boulanger. I suspect she used this line on many of her students as we know for sure she gave each of them the same exact admonition to find their own style and pursue it, not copy someone else. But the first published version I’ve seen of this was when George Gershwin went to Paris to study with Nadia, and also with Ravel. George was despairing one day of the brilliance of Ravels’ waterfall cording and Nadia harshly admonished him to forget copying Ravel: ‘Why would you want to be a second rate Ravel when you are already a first rate Gershwin.’