The More Fun You Have, the More Fun Others Will Have

This past Monday, I worked an event with multiple speakers.

As I was standing backstage with someone about to present, she couldn’t stop speaking about how nervous she was. (My favorite comment, “What if I throw up on my shoes?”)

My response?

“The more fun you’re having, the more fun they’ll have.”

Now, there are some people who might say, “That doesn’t apply to every situation.”

True.

Eulogies are not the time to dial up the fun. (Although it is possible—I’ve done it.) Nor are announcements about plummeting stock prices.

In situations like those, I assume common sense will prevail.

Alternatively, there are likely to be people who say this advice is the equivalent of strangers on the street telling you to “Smile.”

Perhaps.

But as Thich Nhat Hanh said, “There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.”

In other words, your audience is looking to you to set the mood.

So I say, set it. And—when appropriate—choose fun.

 

Interested in other tips for how to set a mood for your audience? Take a look at “What’s the Recipe for Funny?”