The devastating LA wildfires have left a trail of unimaginable loss including over $200 billion in damage, 24 lives tragically taken, and countless others displaced with lost hope.
Yet, amidst this chaos, the NFL wild card playoff game between the LA Rams and Vikings wasn’t canceled. It was simply moved to Arizona!
How can anyone possibly focus on football when such profound suffering surrounds us?
When you picture fun, what comes to mind?
Likely a low-stress moment—something happy and cheerful. It’s hard to imagine fun having an impact when life gets hard.
But here’s a shift in perspective: think about fun as a child does. For kids, fun isn’t optional, it’s oxygen. It’s survival!
This is a principle I call, “The Power of Distracting Fun.”
It’s the ability to embrace fun, even when it feels inappropriate or out of place. To value it so deeply that it becomes your lifeline.
When life gets hard, your brain wants to protect you—it defaults to stress, fear, and fight-or-flight responses. Removing room for joy. But what if that’s exactly when you need fun the most?
What if fun could be your saving grace in the darkest moments?
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl is a powerful memoir that highlights how finding purpose, even in the face of immense suffering, is essential for human survival and resilience. Viktor Frankl discusses the role of joyful memories in helping him endure the horrors of the concentration camp. He emphasizes how recalling moments of love and happiness provided a sense of purpose and inner strength.
One poignant example is his reflection on imagining his wife:
“I did not know whether my wife was alive, and I had no means of finding out, but at that moment it ceased to matter. There was no need for me to know; nothing could touch the strength of my love, my thoughts, and the image of my beloved.”
These reflections from a man who faced unimaginable mental and physical pain remind us that even in the darkest moments, joy and love can be lifelines.
So, how will you embrace this principle in your own life?
Understand that you have control over your mind. When life gets hard and you or your loved ones are suffering, remember to choose powerful fun, whether by reliving joyful memories, expressing gratitude, or embracing moments of kindness and play.
Don’t dismiss silliness or laughter as trivial. These simple gestures hold the key to unlocking resilience and strength. The “Power of Distracting Fun” might seem silly at first, but if engaged, it can shift perspectives, offer relief, and even save lives.
A football game might seem inconsequential in the face of devastating wildfires, but as a moment of collective distraction, it may offer just enough hope, joy, and connection to remind us that life, even in its pain, is still worth celebrating.
Congratulations on the big LA Rams win and the distracting fun it provided!
