“I have great faith in fools - self-confidence my friends will call it.” ― Edgar Allan Poe, Marginalia
So how did it start, the tradition of fooling or performing pranks upon others?
One popular belief says that back in the 1500s, France changed its calendar so the new year would start in January. This was done to align to the Roman calendar instead of spring. But word of this change took quite a bit of time to find its way into the rural areas. Country dwellers continued to celebrate the New Year in April so they became known as "April fools," or so the story goes.
There are many serious and of course, non-serious attempts to explain the origins of this hilarious holiday.
One of the more amusing April Fool pranks was the 2008 BBC news story indicating that camera crews had captured video of Adélie penguins flying. There was even a video clip of these magnificent creatures migrating to the rainforests of South America where they "spend the winter basking in the tropical sun."
One thing all of us tend to do as well, not only during this day but many days of the year, is to fool ourselves. And what I mean by that is fooling ourselves into believing we are incapable of accomplishing great things. From an early age, others teach us about our limits.
Truth is, we are our own limit.
Enjoy this day, April 1st as a day of pranks. Tomorrow, drop the self defeat and be convinced that you can do more in your life. Your imagination, your dreams, your goals can send you to greater heights. Stop fooling yourself and start believing.
Stay inspired my friends.
