100 Ways To Live A Better Life – 60. Set Up A Surprise Party

For you or for a friend. It’s always good for your mood, even if – or especially if – you’re feeling down. Do a themed one, invite friends and tell them to bring their friends along. And then expect to meet new, wonderful persons. And of course, have fun.

Simple, plain and spontaneous fun is so underrated. All you need is a little bit of courage to step out of your comfort zone and bring in some friends. Then let things to unfold in their own terms.

I used to be afraid of parties, especially of surprise parties. Deep down, there was a simple, yet powerful sentence which prevented me to enjoy it. That sentence was :”you don’t deserve it”.

Not anymore. Me, you, and everyone else, we all deserve a surprise party every now and then. 

The Secret Sauce Of A Surprise Party

I bet you didn’t see that coming, but a surprise party is especially nicer when you don’t know about it. Sheesh, I’m smart sometimes, aren’t I?

But beyond the awkwardness of the above sentence (and the attached self-irony) there’s a simple truth: the best moment to have a surprise party is the moment you’ll expect it the least. Like, you know, always. Not only on special occasions, when you somehow are prepared to be entertained. But each and every day, no matter the occasion. All you have to do is to enjoy the ride.

Easier said than done, I know. There is no real “fun on demand”, we don’t have buttons we can push and then suddenly laugh out loud and become wild party animals. There are things we need to do every day, we have to complete projects, to function in the structures we chose to. And completing those tasks requires a certain degree of awareness, of accountability and, yes, seriousness. While, on the other hand, the whole concept of fun relies on spontaneity and a sense of freedom, not on coercion.

Then how can you be always prepared? How can you enjoy a surprise party, even in the midst of an urgent deadline for a deadly important project?

Well, the secret sauce relies in the “party” part of the expression, not in the “surprise”. If you can see everything like a huge, continuous party, then everything will fall into places gracefully. The whole concept of “surprise” will be deemed obsolete. There won’t be any surprises anymore, you will just expect to party all the times.

Now, bear with me: some parties are funnier than others. Some parties may be filled with laughter and joy and exhilaration. These are the “usual” parties. And some parties may be sad, a bit lonely and quiet. But they’re equally parties. They’re equally celebrations of life in every aspect of it. Some party may celebrate unions, reunions, successes. Other parties may celebrate separations, departure and loss. But both are, deep down, just celebrations.

If you can enjoy every little thing life throws at you, then you’re in for a treat, my friend. You’ll be entertained by all of them, by those you consider now to be “fun”, as well by those you consider now to be “bad luck”.

Being ready for anything, taking everything with a light heart and a smile, that’s all it takes.

It’s not easy, I know. But, in the end, it’s better to see reality as a continuous party than as a continuous struggle.

further reading

Playgrounds And Balloons

33 Ways To Feel Better




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