Have fun and Be Yourself

My brother’s mission: coach his high school girls’ cross country team to the state championships again.

He needed buy-in. He needed to know who was serious and who was not ready for his program. To gauge commitment, he devised a writing assignment and distributed it to the team.

A few days later, I heard him erupt from the other room, “HA. Listen to this. ‘My goal this season is to have fun and be myself.’” 

We shared a laugh about it as he read the full essay to me. “What a silly, unserious, and girly thing to write as a goal for the season,” I thought. 

Days later, I found myself staring at a 5:30 am whiteboard monstrosity at CrossFit Watsonville (my gym at the time), wondering how I’d survive the day’s workout. “I guess I’ll just have fun and be myself,” I told myself. 

It worked. Instantly, something shifted into place. You don’t have to suffer twice when your goal is to have fun and be yourself. You don’t have to suffer the anxiety of anticipating a workout AND then also the pain of the workout itself. 

My connection to one of my ideals, cheerfulness, deepened. Like many people, I would like others to enjoy being around me. I hope my presence uplifts and encourages them. A cheerful face and warm tone have a ripple effect. It’s a force multiplier for the common good. 

“Brian, how are you?”

“Oh, you know, having fun and being myself,” as I heave and grimace through a workout. 

There’s the famous line, “angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” But it’s not destroying the ego that lets us fly. It’s being grounded in who we really are. Have fun. Be yourself. Maybe you’ll make it to the state championships like my brother’s cross country team.