My Circus : My Monkeys
It is my sincerest hope that my monkeys are helpful, funny, and bring you at least a little bit of joy.
There is an old Polish proverb that goes:
Not my circus. Not my monkeys.
Which is both genius and hilarious. It implies that other people’s problems are not yours to fix while also implying that watching a circus fly off the rails can be just as amusing as a circus well run. It also invokes images of circuses, monkeys, and all of the colors and mayhem that that entails as it relates to the act of simply living.
Bravo! 10/10. No notes.
It got me to thinking that the opposite is also true:
My circus. My monkeys.
This version asserts that my life is my circus and that the decisions and actions I make are my monkeys, and thus I am responsible for whatever havoc my monkeys wreak. It fits neatly with my ethos: my decisions and actions - those things through which I interact with others and the rest of the world - have an impact on those around me. When you enter my tent, whether you bought a ticket or not, it is my sincerest hope that if you interact with my monkeys at all, they are helpful, funny, and bring you at least a little bit of joy.
It is primarily for this reason that today, on my 100th article and damn near 2 years into this endeavor, I am renaming this newsletter to: My Circus : My Monkeys.
It holds the weight I want it to, quickly conveys my perspective, and invokes images of circuses, monkeys, and all of the colors and mayhem that that entails. It doesn’t hurt that I think the word “monkey” is one of the funnier words in the English language. Go ahead. Say it a few times out loud: Monkey. Monkey. Monkey1.
THE HAPPINESS GUY
I started this Substack wanting to explore my own happiness and the attitude I bring toward this life that causes me to find joy in so many things. I hoped (and still hope) that that exploration was (and is) worthwhile and that others would (and will) find value in it. To a degree that has happened, but I get the growing sense that calling myself The Happiness Guy is more of a deterrent to finding an audience than I initially considered.
To wit:
It’s Presumptuous: Calling myself The Happiness Guy presupposes that someone else’s thoughts on happiness are not as valid as my own. That’s just gross. I want to stimulate discussion, not suppress it.
It’s Pretentious: I never would consider my opinions on happiness to be definitive (in fact that would be the opposite of what I consider happiness), but by calling myself The Happiness Guy I set myself up as The Expert. Ew.
It’s Precious: I am well aware that the world is not in a very great place right now. The topic of Happiness is not something many people are specifically seeking out. There are other, more pressing, concerns. I get it. In many ways The Happiness Guy felt like driving an ice cream truck through a city on fire.
I’m Painted in a corner: Calling myself The Happiness Guy inadvertently forced my hand into speaking only of happiness. I found myself trying to justify whatever I was talking about with the topic. It became rather limiting.
This is not a political newsletter, but it does seem we have at least a good three and a half years left of swimming in snark infested waters. I would like to swim in those waters without someone saying, “And you call yourself The Happiness Guy!” This rebrand is like shaking off a well earned, soft and cozy blanket to expose myself to the harsh reality of the present moment. By freeing myself from this self imposed limitation I can address other concepts more directly without someone calling into question the validity of the title I have given myself.
I do believe that the concepts of happiness are a direct refutation and rebuttal, if not even a legitimate basis for opposition and resistance, to the fuckerations currently being foisted upon the world. It also acts as a reminder and a hope to not allow the pendulum to swing too far in the other direction with the inevitable course correction.
MY CIRCUS : MY MONKEYS
Don’t worry, my fellow happyists, I will still be exploring happiness much the way I have been: talking about how to find it, accept it, and spread it - like finding a map to a guy handing out peanut butter samples. I really do enjoy the subject. In fact the new name allows me to delve deeper into how happiness plays into leadership and running a business without feeling like I am drifting too far afield2. It also doesn’t hurt that it invokes images of circuses, monkeys, and all of the colors and mayhem that that entails.
I’ll be the guy in the top hat standing in the center ring.
Enjoy the circus. Watch out for the monkeys.
This is an opportune moment to direct you to this song. It’s been living in my head free of charge for a good week - and now it will live in yours3!
Or, if’n you would like something a bit more traditional:
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I just made you say “monkey”.
What can be better describe running a business than wrangling circus monkeys?
Maniacal laughter!
🐒 wish I could put a picture of my office and the clanging monkey tape dispenser (per your suggestions)
Ice cream truck. Funny.