What's with this "life is real, life is earnest" grim reaper mentality that seems to haunt American business? OK, things get Tough, things stay tough longer than we'd like, Tough Things need vigilance, etc. etc. etc. But where is our sense of adventure?

The entrepreneurs I most love to work with have a sense of delight in the adventure of their work lives. They grab new opportunities, and remember that a successful business person must fail many times before they rise to the top. They hold on to the knowledge they gained from their failures, and build that knowledge into success, until there is no question that they will and must succeed -- not because it is inevitable, but because they have a passion for living.

I taught a "Serious Play" workshop recently, in which a CEO participated in telling wild improvisational stories about creative work solutions, building nuances based on other people's ideas as we passed the stories around, and impressing everyone with his team spirit. When another participant confessed that the whole process was overwhelming to her, he admitted he felt overwhelmed, too. Then he said, "But I just threw my whole self in, and it was a lot of fun."

I'm willing to bet it's that attitude that makes him such a successful entrepreneur. On top of listening skills and enthusiasm, he has the confidence to know that his whole self can and must engage fully in the serious play of human communication. What a role model!

I think we often hold ourselves back because we fear the letdown, if our whole selves experience what we imagine to be the backlash of failure. And yes, I've experienced the sadness that comes from throwing myself into a project or a workplace, and finding out that I, that we, had failed as a community to make our work together last. I've been through the blaming and the grieving -- and the delight in looking back at my accomplishments, and the knowledge I gained, and the colleagues I retained, and the strength I found in stepping away from what otherwise would have turned into a devastating failure, in the conventional definition. I understand that fear.

And I understand that great business people have a lot of stamina and support as well as enthusiasm. But where do you think they get that stamina and support? I believe a lot of it comes from the willingness to engage in the serious play of risk, reward and discovery, the sources of joy in our worklives.

Do you find joy in your work, or are you marking time? Do you think joy is a luxury at work, or is it part of your plan? Do you remember a time when you felt more joy at work? Do you want it back?

Tell me about it!