Get Your Fun On

Know what's cool? Not littering. Know what's cooler? Listening as your yogurt cup plummets to the center of the Earth.

Know what's cool? Feeling like a rugged badass for taking the stairs next to escalator-riders. Know what's cooler? Performing "Chopsticks" as you ascend, Big style.

The Fun Theory makes these imaginative upgrades a reality. This creative initiative, sponsored by Volkswagen, operates on the philosophy that plain and simple fun is the best incentive for changing behavior. Check out these videos to see how fun is taking Stockholm by storm:

The Fun Theory is a team of artists, electricians, engineers, carpenters, filmmakers, fun-havers, etc., who commit hours of manual labor and brain power to making fun an every day occurrence. As a college student, I've noticed that most of us tend to reserve fun for weekend evenings (or mornings, if it's game day) and it always involves the consumption of something it is illegal to consume on some level. It's easy to postpone a good time until whenever the pre-game starts that night, but why let an entire day of potential fun slip through your fingers?
Remember when walking down a sidewalk was a lanky, lopsided dance because you didn't want your Sketchers to touch any of the cracks? The structural integrity of your mother's spine depended on that fun little game you played walking to the playground. Let's bring that back. Maybe my memory is deceiving me, I was never, ever bored as a kid. Everything was fun, except for when my montessori classmate, Hannah, a.k.a. Hannibal, bit my arm like, every single day. My point is that we've all lost sight of that perspective (having fun, not cannibalism) as we've grown older and taken on more responsibilities, more places we have to be, more social norms to which we need to conform. We live in an environment that should foster fun, but we overlook it most of the time. The Fun Theory and it's entertaining installations remind us of the power of fun, not just to brighten our days but also to change our habits for the better.
As the founder, president, writer, intern, janitor, choreographer, and backscratcher here at Positively Positivity, I am no stranger to fun. Whatever you do, however mundane the task may be, is an opportunity to have fun.

High Fivin' It.

Today, we're going to talk about an American past-time. No, it's not baseball, and no again, it's not Jersey Shore. It's the high five. Relive it with me: elbow bending at the perfectly relaxed 90-degree angle, milliseconds of anticipation as both hands raise and move toward each other, and that satisfying palm-to-palm smack. BOOM.

That's the sound of a good moment giving birth to a great day. I don't know who you are, where you come from, or what you're about -- but I know that you gotta love that beautifully loud high five and its ten finger-crack. Though simple (and majestic) to the eye, a good high five is a culmination of several skills:

Mad skill.

• Hand-eye coordination: Without this, what could have been some serious thunder is now a forceful grazing of the pinky fingers. And that is just not satisfying at all. It's also awkward. (Tip: Look at the other person's elbow when you go in for the slap)
• Delivery:  Raise that hand high and throw your back into it. High fives are meant to be loud; leave every ounce of force in your muscles on the other person's hand to achieve maximum smack status. 
• Attention: This is absolutely crucial. I personally feel that one day is a constant string of moments that could merit a high five. You have to be ready for it at all times, not only so you can take part in the awesomeness of the move but also to ensure that you don't get smacked in the face -- or worse, accidentally smack someone else in the face.
• Guts: Every time you go up for the high five, you're putting yourself out there. It's a vulnerable moment. Someone could leave you hangin', and then you'd have to scratch your head or pretend to wave to someone far off on the horizon. But you gotta put it out there to get it back. The satisfaction of a mutual smack between friends (or strangers) is one of life's greatest pleasures, and it's so worth the effort. In the words of Johnny Tsunami, "Go big or go home."

High fives amp the greatness of every possible moment. They can be congratulatory, like when you answer a question right in class, sink a jump shot, or succeed in not eating it on the icy walk to class. They can be celebratory, like when someone more athletic than you scores a jump shot, or when you find out class was cancelled. They can be congenial, like when you find someone else who will only eat the extra crunchy variety of peanut butter. They can be encouraging, like when you unintentionally fold on a four-of-a-kind and need something to alleviate the humiliation. Anything and everything deserves a high five. Think about that as you go through your day and you'll realize what a great day it really is. High five for being alive. It's actually quite a feat when you think about it.