April 15, 2019 – 4 min read
“Does anybody remember laughter?” -Robert Plant.
This is one of my favorite live “concert” quotes from Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, stated while performing Stairway to Heaven at Madison Square Garden in 1973. He was no doubt in some transcendent state, but the message was simple and still resonates with me today.
Honestly, is it just me, or does it seem that everyone is so serious these days? The adventure of anything, especially owning your own business, or cultivating a side hustle, has gotten so blown out of proportion, that everyone has forgotten to simply have fun. Dare I say “make it fun” and let the journey be the reason behind what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter what you’re aspiring to do. It takes real work, but it never stops; not today, tomorrow, or the rest of your life.
Many will be hung up on the size of there endeavor, the scope of the reach and the scale of its success. But does any of that really matter? Isn’t simply finding the joy in whatever it is you’re doing enough to satisfy? Most, if not all don’t have a realistic expectation of what this really looks like anyway. They often set themselves up for failure by stating things like “if I can just get to a million dollars in sales” or “if I can just get some investors this thing will be huge.” Do they even know how many businesses never reach a million dollars in sales? Don’t they get that taking on investor money only splits the pie, if and when theres a profit to be split? The sad fact is that no, they don’t. So the phrases and conversations they engage in diminish the real expectations of those around them, and leave negative waves everywhere thy flow. It’s a damn shame that it is usually the loudest voices that get the most attention, and all to often they’re the most uninformed.
I understand that we as humans are predisposed to have strong desires for more. The question is, more of what and why? All to often is very easy to identify. It’s the comparative nurturing we’ve all grown up with since the first prehistoric bipedal inhabitants noticed that another’s rock, stick or cave was slightly larger than his. And upon making this discovery began to look for a larger rock, longer stick and a more grandiose cave! So I get it, it’s natural. It’s in our DNA. It’s “primal”. But can’t we rewire it? I think we can, or should at least try.
Agree? Disagree? Nevertheless, here is my point and my challenge: Forget about what everyone else has, does, says, believes, and the list goes on, and simply be you! But, be the BEST you, by finding the joy, happiness, peace, serenity and fulfillment in everything that you do.
Listen, don’t misunderstand me on this. I am fully aware that there is a ton of meaningful and very serious stuff that we all must deal with regularly; things in life and in business. But when given the chance and the opportunity presents itself, I will always lean towards having fun over anything else and I hope you will too. There’s no doubt in my mind, that this world would be way better off if we could just remember to live, love and laugh more often.
