When did life get so serious? When did we take ourselves so seriously? One of my core values and something that gives me enormous energy is humour. For as long as I can remember, I love laughing, giggling, jokes, wittiness, fun and with it that lightness of connection.
I can always tell if I’m overwhelmed or heading towards stress and contraction because my life becomes serious. I begin to take everything so seriously, I’m serious, my work is serious, my relationships take on a serious tone and it’s bloody hard work. My energy is just sucked straight out of me, I’m lethargic in mind and body … weighed even further down with expectations, layers and layers of unmet expectations, that swirl and wrap me in a tight bundle of seriousness. And watch out – it’s contagious! The more serious I am, the more serious I become and the more serious I become, the greater the chance that those around me catch it too. My sombreness infects the way I see myself, others and any situation and day to day it takes its toll.
There are, of course, moments of seriousness that are absolutely needed. Life is not all fun and games all the time. However, I do find that when my sense of play, humour, or fun is absent for periods of time, life is a struggle and I get caught in a trap of seeing the world as a much harder and tougher place than it really needs to be.
One of my favourite teachers, Ram Dass, always shares his wisdom and stories with grace and lightness. He appreciates that the universe is having fun with us and ultimately it is this lightness that will help us to connect much deeper to the mysteries of our life… “Cosmic humour, especially about your own predicament, is an important part of your journey”.
What if we see too much seriousness as a sign, telling us to tap in to our more playful, creative, fun side, lighting our way forward.
Love,
Jo x