The Antidote to Seriousness

When we trap ourselves into believing that the stories we tell ourselves are true, we allow an attitude and ethos of seriousness to take over. Pretty soon everything is equally important and grave. This is no way to live and usually causes suffering, both emotional and physical. And it can all happen so quickly.

You have a nightmare and you wake up grouchy. You spill coffee on yourself, and then that accident on the freeway makes you late for work. Then you’re fairly certain your coworker looked at you funny on your lunch break. You get an email from your sister letting you know that she’s recovering nicely from her surgery, but you’re pretty sure you can read between the lines. Something’s wrong. And now the headache you’ve got, it’s probably something far worse than just a headache. As you get into bed, you realize you forgot eggs when you were at the store. Damn it. That’s the last straw. As you drift off, your sleep is rife with restlessness.

Imagine what the day could have been like had you approached every situation, conversation, and encounter with playfulness rather than an attitude of seriousness and strife. Treating yourself, your relationships, and your work with a playful spirit is not disrespectful or acting like you and others are a joke. It’s about giving space, treating each moment with lightness. Heavy-handedness and gravitas almost always make a situation worse, and most assuredly make you feel worse. In fact, playfulness with make you feel better and bring life to your work and relationships. Who doesn’t want more of that?