Story time!
One day I was in Walmart and nature called. I headed for the restroom and promptly almost flattened this lady coming out of the restroom. I apologized and checked to see if she was ok (she was). Then we had an awkward moment as it dawned on me that this lady was in the men’s room. Wait, it gets better!
Another lady exited the nearest stall and froze when she saw me. Realization came rushing over me; I entered the lady’s room in my haste. OH MY GOSH!
This couldn’t be good.
Mind you, this is the bathroom in the front of the store by the registers that everyone can see and walks past. There was no escape. No way to exit the bathroom unseen by other shoppers. So, I looked at the ladies and said “one of us is in the wrong place. Since you outnumber me, I’m going to assume it’s me.”
They laughed and agreed and I averted my eyes and tried to moonwalk out of the bathroom. Did I mention that I can’t moonwalk? This caused more laughter and I eventually just laughed and walked out and went to handle business in the right bathroom. I saw both ladies later as I was shopping. One even made a joke about me being on the wrong aisle (I was, but that’s not the point here!). Crisis averted.
So, how did I do it?
Stop taking yourself so seriously!
Can you imagine if I had apologized with a serious and somber expression? Things would probably gone very differently.
Instead of making an uncomfortable situation unbearable, I made it humorous.
On the whole, we take ourselves way too seriously, and we seriously need to stop.
Here’s a possibly unpopular opinion: I think it’s close to impossible to have a truly positive life without two key things:
- A healthy sense of humor: Life is going to throw some curve balls at us (broken phone screen, relationships that don’t work out, or trying to find the glasses that are on your head), and if we can’t find the humor in these less-than-positive situations in our lives, we will spend a large portion of our lives unhappy.
- The ability to laugh at ourselves: We’re all going to do some pretty stupid, embarrassing, and ridiculous stuff in our lives, and that’s why it is so important to give ourselves some kindness when those things happen instead of beating ourselves up for it.
Yes, there are things in life that need to be taken very seriously, but there’s nothing positive or healthy about taking your life so seriously that you end up turning every molehill into a mountain.
I’m passionate about this topic, and it’s largely because I’m a complete goofball (anyone reading this who knows me can personally vouch for me on this).
I laugh a lot (most times at myself), I do silly stuff at a moment’s notice, and I’m the guy who will say “I really have no idea what you’re saying to me right now – it all sounds terrible and fully not my problem. Stop and start over and this time say things that I care about.” Deadpan.
I can do this because I don’t take myself too seriously. People say it’s part of my charm (thanks for that, by the way), and I know that I find this trait incredibly charming in other people.
On the other hand, the opposite isn’t charming at all. It’s repulsive. Take it from a guy who’s been there.
Your Ego or Your Authenticity?
Take a moment and think of someone who takes him/herself too seriously.
Being completely honest – do you enjoy being around that person? Would you take a two-week vacation out of the country with someone like that?
You answered “NO” to those, right? If not, you can stop reading now – this isn’t for you.
Many people who take their lives too seriously do it because they’re coming from an ego-driven place. I know because I used to live there myself. Even built an amazing home there with no windows. Maybe I’ll tell you about it one day.
Here are some signs that you might be taking yourself a little too seriously:
- You’re incapable of self-deprecating humor, being the butt of a lighthearted joke, or laughing at yourself.
- You would never put yourself in a position where you could possibly look silly in front of others (singing karaoke, giving a presentation at the company party, getting on the dance floor at a party/wedding, attempting to cook a fancy dinner for a group of friends, etc.)
- You’re easily offended and take every slight personally.
- You’re overly image conscious and care way too much about stuff that doesn’t really matter (the car you drive, being seen, your job title, the number of followers or likes you have, etc.)
- You need to have the last word in a discussion, and you need to be right.
Full disclosure – I was guilty of all those things because I wanted people to take me seriously.
The irony was that when I took myself too seriously, no one else did.
Let that marinate.
It was only when I embraced my authenticity and stopped taking myself seriously that the world finally started taking me seriously. Much more importantly than how the world felt about me, was that I liked myself so much more and I was so much happier.
For me, the choice is clear: You can choose to listen to the voice of your ego, or you can listen to that voice inside of you that’s urging you to keep it real.
I think it’s time to listen to the second voice instead.
Lighten Up!
I believe that the ability to laugh at ourselves is the secret to fully enjoying our lives.
The world desperately needs more fun, more laughter, and more silliness – and it’s up to you to make it happen.
Do you want to look back on your life with the regret that you didn’t enjoy life more than you could have? Even worse, do you want to live with the regret that you didn’t have the guts to try something that could make you happy because you were too scared of possibly looking silly?
I can promise you that if you choose that route, you will regret it. Deeply.
Instead, if you’re feeling the music and you feel like dancing, get on the dance floor, and shake a tail feather!
Instead, start that book that you’ve always wanted to write, even if no one else gets what you’re talking about.
Instead, find the guts to live with vulnerability and authenticity, even if everyone else thinks you’re weird for not following the herd.
Most importantly, stop taking yourself so seriously!
And if you do end up looking silly (and it’s a very real possibility that you could), just take a deep breath and remember this life-altering advice:
You didn’t die from it, so relax and let it go.
Do you take yourself too seriously? Are you able to laugh at yourself and be silly? Either way, jump into the comments below and make your voice heard!