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Keep Alive Your Sense of Humor)
Most of us, at some time, take ourselves and our own personal problems too seriously. And when we do, the result is usually pain, fear, and anger. We believe that the bad things that happen are directed at us and against us. We take things personally. We drown in our problems, we lose sight of other humans, and we treat others badly. In short, we become too serious. All of this feeds into fear, doubt, and anger, and can only make us unhappy.
What’s more, have you noticed how dull people are when they’re too serious? They’re no fun to be around —— you feel their heaviness. Sometimes you want to scream out, “Lighten up already!” Do you want to become like that? With a good sense of humor, our load is lightened.
While it’s easy to see when others are too serious, it’s much harder to see this in ourselves. I’m fortunate in that I have two kids whom I can depend on to remind me when I fall into this habit. One will always say, “Father, you’ve got that serious look again.” My older daughter, Jazzy used to call me “a serious little man”.
Having a good sense of humor and being able to laugh at yourself doesn’t mean you don’t care or that you don’t try hard. I have strong feelings about many things, and I work as hard as anyone I know. I’m happy, however, because I have a good sense of humor. I don’t take myself too seriously. I know that things will go wrong. I know that some people won’t like me or will criticize me. I’m not too strict with myself, as I know that I will make a lot of mistakes. I try not to be careless, but it’s not terrible if I make a mistake —— it means I’m human. I also know that others will make mistakes.
You have to admit that it’s a little funny when people get worried about stupid little things. The advantage I have is that I think it’s funny when I do this. If you can see the humor in life, you’re going to enjoy most of it. You’ll be more patient than most others are. This feeling will increase your joy and will keep you from burning out.
Humor is an interesting topic because, when you suggest to people that they take themselves less seriously, they often believe you are ignoring their troubles and frustration. Of course you are not. The truth is, we have many troubles, some of which are very serious. Life can be very hard and very painful. Yet a sense of humor helps us to see our problems as they really are. It makes life interesting and fun during easy times, and will cheer us up when life is difficult.
I hope that with all the serious problems around, you can keep alive a good sense of humor. It will serve you well.
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