the art of not taking ourselves so seriously

Laughter indeed is the most excellent medicine. Last weekend we sat down as a family and introduced our children to the world of “Supercalifragilisticexpeallidocious”. One of the two was asleep before the curtain even raised, it had been a stressful week, but our first born’s eyes were like circle’s as he soaked in every song and scene.

Mary Poppins is a puzzle of emotions but to see my little man absorbed in the humour of it all was breathtaking.

You see he’s been having a hard time of late. An awakening of many different trials, but he has not been the pie-eyed optimist I gave birth too. He’s not enjoying school, there is a whole plot lines worth of reasons why but I am determined to help him laugh his way through.

One early morning this week, I found this post-it note stuck to my desk.

workipladoushous:

It means funny. Properly funny. Very funny.

The beauty of this little breakthrough is that my six-year-old realises that anything that is worth doing takes a lot of work.

Driving one morning, he said to me; “Mum school has so much paperwork!” with a sad look on his face.

I reply “I know buddy, it can be hard sometimes hey?”

He replies “It is sooooooooooo boringgggggg”

Enter workipladoushous. The capacity to take something that is boring and to make it funny. Mary Poppins taught me this so long ago.

Yesterday in the ICU unit with my Granma, we were getting sly looks from the nurses and fellow patients as we laughed and laughed. My granma has lost her eyesight, she is regaining her speech from a stroke last week and this week had a mild heart attack. Yet yesterday we laughed. We laughed so hard tears dribbled down her cheeks. About fellow patients, about family stories.

I think not only does social media create a culture of comparison, but also one where we take everything sooooooo seriously.

Ourselves,

Our businesses,

Our parenting,

Our career,

Our purpose,

Our food.

The art of not taking ourselves so seriously is found in the midst of workipladoushous. Taking that which is tedious and making it funny.

So today, what if we embarked upon the healing medicine of laughter. If you are in the depths of despair or the heights of career-driven success. Laugh a little. Or a lot.

Hire a comedy.

Hang out with that friend that can’t help but crack a few jokes.

Listen to a podcast with someone who excels in the art of not taking themselves too seriously.

Watch Baboons at the zoo.

Anything, just something that makes you smile and remember tomorrow is another day, and that which is weighing upon your heart can be lifted by the simplicity of a profound, unrelenting, barreling moment of raucous laughter.

If I’m getting a little heavy hearted my internet friend just shout out your window as your driving past me: WORK I PLAD OU SHOUS!

And we will both laugh out loud together