"Isn't this Fun?" - Christine Kane

Michael Jordan tells a story about the final seconds of what would become the legendary game of the Carolina Tarheels and the Georgetown Hoyas in the 1982 NCAA Championships.

With seconds remaining, the Tarheels were down by one.  The stadium was going nuts.  Dean Smith called a time-out and sat with his team mapping out the next play. Apparently, in the middle of it all, Dean Smith stopped. He looked up at his team, and said:

“Isn’t this fun?”

I thought of this yesterday when all kinds of little glitches happened throughout the day.   The truth about running your own business is that it’s the most exciting empowering amazing thing you can do.  AND, like anything worthwhile, it comes fully equipped with high stress moments and triggery situations and times when you’d rather not have to “map out the next play.”

But in the midst of it all, there was Dean Smith in my head, reminding me that you can love ALL of it without any attachment to the win or the loss.  You can stop in the midst of anything – the burnt toast, the rejected artwork, the obnoxious child, the bad rehearsal, the wonky interview, the less-than-stellar meeting, the curious design on your new book, the wifi going down, the power going out – and you can ask yourself:

“Isn’t this fun?”

And there’s ALWAYS an angle, a way of focusing, a level of seeing it – where the answer is, unequivocally:

YES!

20 COMMENTS ADD A COMMENT
  • Lisa

    The other day I had a stressful day and then a performance at night. Arrived to the venue not warmed-up, tight-throated, concerned about letting down my fellow singers in the trio, and not doing justice to the gig. But I took time out to warm up slowly in an out-of-the-way place. Then, the act before us was chanting a Buddhist chant that ended, “so if you’re looking for spiritual enlightenment, just rememer, don’t waste time.” I laughed, and remembered that I love the songs we were singing, I’d been waiting to sing one in particular with my friend in the trio for many years, and the venue was a wonderful interfaith gathering in a beautiful church. I got up and just really had a good time, feeling so lucky to be there. The performance went well, was well received, got many compliments. Because I decided to ask “Isn’t this fun?” instead of worry about “doing well.” Yeah!

  • Stacey

    I’ve been working on this for a while but remain “non-attachment challenged”. I feel like one of those bobble-heads….shifting back and forth from “letting go” to “playing to win”. I see the logic and in both and yet there is a nuance in how they dance together that eludes me.

  • Christine Kane

    Thanks for all these great thoughts. For some reason they make me think of the play “Our Town” – and all of the reminders of how GREAT our life is and not waiting til it’s gone to remember that!

  • Kylie

    I usually see the fun in retrospect. After I’ve finished the paper, the deadline, the craft project, whatever. I wonder why I was rushing and stressing because it was actually so fulfilling. Part of it, I think, is our expectation that if we call it work, it can’t be fun. Time to remember that work can (and should be!) fun. Thanks, Christine.

  • Charlotte Rains Dixon

    I think, too, that sometimes we get so bogged down in our day-to-day lives we forget to enjoy what we’re doing. I’m thinking of my own life here, how sometimes I see writing as a cold, hard slog. But then I remind myself, hey, I’m writing! It doesn’t matter what I’m working on, I get to do what I love to do! Reframing. I’m going to now start asking myself, “Isn’t this fun?”

  • Maddie E

    Love it. Made me smile to read it. I’m passing it on and imprinting on my brain. If I wanted a tattoo this would make a good one!

  • Kathryn

    I like the way of you seeing things in a more positive light and attitude. I would love to be able to think the way you do. I like what you said about:

    “You can stop in the midst of anything – the burnt toast, the rejected artwork, the obnoxious child, the bad rehearsal, the wonky interview, the less-than-stellar meeting, the curious design on your new book, the wifi going down, the power going out – and you can ask yourself:

    “Isn’t this fun?”

    Its an encouragement to read such a helpful positive post. It makes me think I should not take things so personal and instead of getting upet…. just laugh it off. I will take your advice and try it. Thanks for such a great and helpful post. Your a great writer and thinker!

    Plumbers in Dunellen NJ

  • CathyP

    So true Christine – sometimes it’s just about taking that deep breathe and asking ourselves how we can see the lighter side of a situation. That usually flips it around for me. I’m trying to teach my teenager to do things with enjoyment – or don’t do them at all. You can imagine how that is going !
    Cathy

  • Suzie Cheel

    Yes I love this “pattern interrupt”and when I read this I realized I have really made some big shifts in my life. I do often ask so what’s good about this when something is not on track. This happened last week for me -was losing my cool, I let it go, then I find abundance often flows. I opened my email to the words – you are a winner

  • mary mixon

    We must all be in a “brain-wave-sync” ( a new term amongst us).
    Over lunch discussing some less than on-target things, my husband said ” but aren’t you having fun? Yet?”.
    Are you in cahoots with him?

  • Elaine Bailey

    I love this and it’s a GREAT lesson to remember 🙂 Thanks!

  • Lisa Zimmerman

    What a fabulous “pattern interrupt” – a most unexpected idea can snap you out of the old familiar neural pathway of pain. Love it! I’ve used it already with a person in angst over having to make a decision – this will come in handy, I can tell…

    As always, thanks Christine!

  • Diane Conklin

    Oh, yes, with all there is to do PLUS add on top of that promoting and preparing for an event – it can get a little overwhelming at times…but it is always FUN!

    Hang in there my friend, it’s all going to be great!

    Diane

  • Sue

    I am printing this out to hang in my office. Actually maybe one for each office – home and ‘work’. It is a great lesson. Thanks for remding me!!

  • Nicole Indelicato

    Thanks Christine. Definetly needed to hear this today! Remembering to have fun in the midst of craziness.

  • Dani Fake Webb

    Wow. I’m not having fun. Wonder what that means. Thanks for the thought provocation!

  • Tonya

    Oh my….I so needed to hear this phrase. Nuff said.:) Thx.

  • Lisa Larter

    Great post – easy to forget fun when things are not going 100% according to plan. I often think this is the way the universe is testing me to see how committed I really am to what it is I am doing. Great perspective as always Christine!

  • Laura

    Great list of FUN things. Let’s add to this list getting stood up by a prospect, your computer dies at an inconvenient moment (I guess that’s the only time they die), the proposal for your cool new logo that comes in at roughly 5 times what you had in mind to pay, the deadline changes at the last moment and you go to fix dinner and find out you don’t have half the ingredients you thought were there. Hugs from dripping wet Charleston!

  • Connie

    Yes! I needed to hear this. Thanks Christine.