Credit: Swancourt via YouTube: Abbott and Costello
When you’re struggling with a problem, one of the best things you can do is find something to laugh about.
Intuitively, we know this is true.
Laughing reduces stress and anxiety. It gets oxygen flowing (especially the BIG belly laughs that make you cry) and “clears” your head.
Laughter frees our mind and pushes whatever we were stuck processing toward the back. Making our previous unfinished task kind of like a silent movie.
We can’t fully focus on two things at once. This splits our attention. But when we’ve been working on a problem and leave it, our brain doesn’t stop “thinking” about it.
How many times have you experienced an “ah, ha!” moment while doing a task completely unrelated to the one you were actually involved in at that moment?
A lot, right?
If you’re not getting enough laughter in your day-to-day, consider making it a habit.
Schedule time to watch funny movies, videos, or go see a comedian. If you can’t manage that, hang out with your kids (or someone else’s if you don’t have your own.) They’re a guaranteed source of laughter!
Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.
Jules Renard
It’s probably accurate to say that many of us have moments of laziness. Sometimes it’s because we’ve worked long hours, and still need to help children with homework, get everyone fed, make lunches, and get everyone in bed at a reasonable time.
We do all of that, and then think, “It’s time for me to relax.” Which is another way of saying “veg out,” or be lazy for a while. I get it. I’m fairly certain I wore that t-shirt sometime in the past week.
On the surface, this isn’t a “bad” thing. We do need down time.
But what kind of downtime will benefit our brains and bodies most?
Is it several hours in front of a screen watching Netflix, Hulu, or something else? (Oi, how I love Netflix, and more recently Hulu. I have to limit myself to 1-2 hours for the day or I’ll be up all night.)
Probably not.
All those screen time warnings we see for children and teens apply to us, too.
When we’re engaged with our screens, we’re disconnecting with the people around us. We are social creatures who need contact. That contact can come from engagement via our devices, but it’s certainly not ideal.
Ask anyone whose been deployed how ideal that is. Or, someone who travels for their living. That type of connection is their “lifeline” to their most important people, but it’s not even close to an acceptable replacement.
You always have two choices: your commitment versus your fear.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
You’re standing in front of this door. Behind you are all of the places you’ve traveled, the people you’ve met, and the choices that have landed you here.
Photo credit: Qimono via Pixabay
What do you do?
Do you stay on this side of lucky number 13, or do you open the door?
Do you take a little peek, or do you step through without a glance back?
Stepping into the unknown is a strange combination of trepidation and exhilaration.
Which one tugs at your being the strongest?
Answering this question, gives you tremendous insights into who you are at your core.
It’s neither good nor bad. It simply is. What you do with the knowledge is up to you.
Challenges, especially of the larger variety help us build resilience. In the spirit of helping you (and me, I’m not going to lie) do that, I’ve created four challenges for you to try. I’ve done each one, and have already started a new one — training for a 1/2 marathon.
You can review and accept a challenge here. Be sure to leave a comment introducing yourself!
Good luck! I look forward to helping you meet your goals!
In the movie “A Knight’s Tale,” young William queries, “Can a man change his stars?”
Of course this has nothing to do with being male, female, black, white, or all the shades in between.
It’s a question about agency, control, and volition.
Do we have control over our lives and how we choose to live? Most of us can truthfully answer yes.
Do we always act as though we do? Not necessarily.
Radical ownership, which I wrote about here is about agency, control, and volition. At our core, our “heart of hearts,” this is what everyone yearns to experience and possess like a precious gem.
When we have it, it’s something that must be protected, but not hidden.
Once we’ve fought our demons and changed our stars, what’s next? We must pave the way for more to follow.
William kept his gem protected, but then this happened:
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