You Have To Be KIDDING Me!!! Life (things) Aren’t That Serious.

If you ask the people who are closest to you to choose one adjective that best describes you, would any of them choose the following:

  • Angry
  • Discounted
  • Always irritated about something
  • Disappointed
  • Crabby
  • Cranky
  • Annoyed
  • Complainer
  • Dissatisfied
  • Unhappy

If so, then you are taking yourself way too seriously.  It is good to be serious some of the time because it demonstrates that you are conscientious, thoughtful and responsible.  However, when we take ourselves too seriously too much of the time, people avoid us.  Being around us wears them out because they are constantly on eggshells wondering what might set us off – – what tangent will we pick up and run with this time.  This causes our relationships to suffer because being around us becomes burdensome to others.

While we do not want to be the comic relief in every situation and in every conversation, there must be times when we can laugh at ourselves, at our situation and find the irony or humor in what is going on around us.  Otherwise, we become bitter as we continue to complain and criticize others as we try to be perfect in every way.  It is completely exhausting to be perfect so it is no wonder that people who are too serious are cranky and crabby. So, how do we lighten up?  First, we learn to laugh at ourselves and stop hating people who laugh with or at us.  Then we begin to change our perspective.

How to change your perspective for the better?

One reason people take themselves, and everything else, too seriously is because their perspective is wrong.  They view everything with a negative slant.  Instead of being happy that they are the first one in line at the bank, they are angry because they have to wait 10 minutes for the bank to open.  Rather than being thrilled that they won a free dinner for two at the best steak restaurant in town, they are disappointed they cannot go to the Italian restaurant.

If you need to lighten up and take things a little less seriously, you may want to adopt a few changes such as these:

  • Assume people are trying to be good and make mistakes just as you do sometimes.
  • Concentrate on what you do have rather than what you do not have.
  • Accept that failure is part of success and progress is not perfection.
  • Realize there is seldom only one right way to do something.
  • Focus on how much you have accomplished rather than striving to be perfect.
  • Accept that people are not always judging you – – that is only in YOUR mind.
  • Your mistakes are not nearly as important to others as they are to you – let them go.

Laughter is truly the best medicine.  Read a book, watch a movie or tell a joke – bring laughter into your world as often as possible.

Image credit: Alan Cleaver

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