The Importance of Being...Not Too Earnest

The Importance of Being ... Not Too Earnest

Seven days without laughter makes one weak! - Joel Goodman

Have you been getting enough fun lately! If you need to think about it, then maybe you haven’t. Injecting fun and humor into your everyday life is like carrying the sun around in your pocket all day long.

People who find fun are fun to be with. They look on the bright side. They are social magnets. They keep the party going. They make light work of heavy workloads.

Laughter is a great medicine and when you laugh, the whole world laughs with you.
The tantrum throwing tennis player, John McEnroe wasn’t joking when he coined the phrase, “You can’t be serious”. I enjoyed watching McEnroe play and I now enjoy his commentary even more. He combines intelligent observation with a great sense of humor.

Indeed, you cannot afford to be too serious all the time. When you find yourself taking life too seriously, laughter lightens the load. Take a moment to ask yourself this question:
On a scale from 1 - 10 where 1 = heavy and 10 = light, where do you fall?

This is a very personal exercise. You will be familiar with your own definition of heavy and light and what they mean for you. No matter where you find yourself on the scale what will it take to move you closer to 10?

What action do you need to take to leave the heaviness behind and make light. (If you gave yourself a 10 at the outset - well done - you must be joking ... if you know what I mean!)
When you find fun, you are less likely to find fault. When you find fun, the oppressiveness of heavy pessimism dissipates and you breathe in the clear air of light optimism.

As Winston Churchill once said, “A pessimist finds danger in every opportunity. An optimist finds opportunity in every danger.” We all make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. In doing so, you will move forward, faster.

Fun is infectious and you need not go as far as playing the clown or making a fool of yourself. Quite simply, when you seek opportunities to have fun in your life you will brighten up the day, not just for yourself, but for those around you. It is like having something to look forward to every day of your life.

In fact, Dale Carnegie, author of ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, observed that “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” So, don’t wait on fun finding you.

On the contrary, make up your mind to find fun and you will feel s-miles better. You cannot be serious! It is important to carry on laughing. Have fun this week.