When I heard of a book that was recommended as a book that would make me want to ‘squeeze and snuggle up to it, then put in a blender and drink it’* I didn’t quite know what to think, but I was curious. Perhaps fun was something I needed to be more curious about, and so The Power of Fun by Catherine Price made it’s way onto my reading list as light read after my journey with Anna Karenina had left my eyes a little tired. I powered through this book, but confession, I skipped the journalling activities (which I imagine are really useful if you want to take time to write your thoughts down).

Let’s be clear on what we are talking about – we all think we know what fun is, but have you tried to define this illusive term? It’s a bit slippery, and when we feel fun, it doesn’t always fit into the categories that we think it will. Just because fun doesn’t fit neatly into a category – it is no less real. The fact that fun won’t always fit into a definition I’d argue is precisely what makes it fun. You can just imagine giggling trying to hold jelly without a bowl – if you ask me, jelly is more boring when it’s restricted to a bowl, the bowl restricts the jelly, and defining fun is a bit like that. However you decide to ‘pin it down’ in your own head, if you’re going to to get through this book, you do kinda have to settle with Price’s definition: fun is a bit of a meet-cute between connection, flow and playfulness (I may be doing the definition of fun a disservice – so read her explaination and see what you think as she has a wonderful diagram that goes with the idea).There’s loads of ‘ta-da’ lightbulb moments in this book, but here’s three top highlights that made me do a few metaphorical somersaults.

1.Motive

I’ve been chewing over the fact that true fun can’t be had or created as an obligation to other people. Imagine someone demanding that you have fun, it almost makes for a environment that is toxic to fun. Fun is for you – it’s a gift for yourself , so much so, that trying to give fun to others often has the polar opposite effect. It morphs into a forced, contrived sense of energy that can so often end in disappointment. Fun arrives when you decide to welcome it, and not when you have to do it. In Catherine’s words “the point of fun is to enjoy your life, not to get a gold star.” As beautifully shiny as gold stars are, they aren’t the only motivation out there, and when it comes to fun, looking for a self motivator can help on the search.

2. Challenge

I hadn’t realised the immense joy that can come with trying something new for the first time. Myself being (up until recently) an indoors type, in the past I haven’t been the first in line for outdoor sports, water activities and the like. Not long ago I was spending time with some friends on a walk in the countryside of The Isle of Man. We stopped at a rope swing which dangled from a sturdy looking tree branch by a fairly wide river. Details such as who’s idea it was to have a go, and who went first escape my memory, but I do remember the physical and spiritual leap it took for me to jump onto the rope and allow myself to swing out over the water. I not only lived to tell the tale, but the challenge element of the rope swing still brings me to a smile, it was so fun! What I learned is, a challenge can often result in the highest amounts of fun. If something’s difficult, don’t let it put you off trying, the result of the push might be just what you needed to get your fun radar working again.

3. Delight

“the more we focus on finding delight, the more we find ourselves surrounded by it.”

Delight and fun are obviously two very different things, but the relationship between the two can not be avoided. Finding flow, playfulness and connection can stem from a moment of delight, or the infusion of the three can be looked back on with delight. Searching for moments of delight in a regular day may sound silly on face value. Finding moments of happiness may perhaps be more palatable, but the idea of finding more than one moment to take sheer and unapologetic delight in perhaps seems a bit childish. Sometimes we can judge those things that make children smile as trivial or think children will know better once they have grown up and they realise what life is really like. How many teachers have you heard say ‘wipe that grin off your face’ (and perhaps rightly in some situations!) I wonder if we have taken to wiping the grin off our faces at things that really are worth smiling about! This book encouraged me to try to hush my inner ‘grown up’ voice , and when something makes me chuckle, giggle or smile, to grab that moment of delight with both hands, and yes, there can be more than one delightful moment in one day!

*this is the review I saw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3faxeQqH_s&t=26s

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