At the age of 45, writer Regina Brett wrote a column for the Cleveland Plain Dealer listing 45 lessons that life had taught her thus far. As a breast cancer survivor, many of those lessons were learned the hard way. Five years later she added five more lessons rounding her list up to 50 and turned her popular list into a book called God Never Blinks. I found her list to be entertaining, inspiring and thought provoking. I thought I would go through each of her lessons learned and write about how that lesson has or has not come up in my own life, now that I am 40 and feel old enough to have finally learned something.
"Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does."
~ LESSON #4
Is this a nicer way of saying, "laugh at yourself along with everyone else?" Does it mean that we should not be so self-absorbed? Or egotistical? I'm not sure, really. To me, being serious about yourself is a good thing. It promotes self-esteem and the strength to pursue your dreams.
But you do also need to be able to laugh at yourself. Laughter is healing and it provides great perspective. It is not often intended to be cruel when it is directed towards you. Usually it is an instinct to chuckle at little mishaps because we all have them.
However, I don't want to be a laughingstock. I want others to take me seriously. To see me for the strong and capable person that I am. To know that I am the best woman for the job, the best friend for guidance, the best partner for support.
I don't take myself so seriously. But I sure do hope someone does.
8 comments:
Sammy just gets cuter and cuter! I'm with you. I want to be taken seriously but try not to take myself too seriously and not laugh off the small stuff!
It's all about timing. When I want to be taken seriously, I don't want someone to laugh at me. But when I want to laugh, I don't want someone taking me so seriously. :)
OMG that face. He is thinking "Feed me dammit! I am hungry!". I think that it is fine line we all walk between being easy-going and being taken seriously. I don't know that you can learn it.
Look at that face!!! Cutie pie!
We should take ourselves seriously, but to the point that we think we are the best and only one ever to do things the right way. Not sure if this makes sense, but hope you get the drift. And it's always good to laugh at oneself and take a little bit of teasing. Oh there's story behind that one for sure, about someone I work with :)
It looks like Sammy is taking your very seriously! So cute.
I know I take myself too seriously often but also have a goofy streak that I hope evens it out. Most days I do need to remember this though!
Sammy is just too adorable for words!
that has always been my husbands rule #3. Whenever anyone in the family gets upset he always whips it out and reminds them to laugh at life a little and not take things so seriously. It is a great rule. Sammy is growing so fast!
What a face! He's thinking "I need a diaper change here!"
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