Learning to Take Ourselves More Lightly...

"Angels fly because they take themselves lightly."

~ G.K. Chesterton

It's a crazy world out there and, let's face it, sometimes just coping with the problems of the world (and in our own lives) can sap our energy and leave us feeling emotionally drained at the end of the day. Fortunately, to deal with the stress of our day-to-day existence, Nature has provided us with a "sixth sense" - our sense of humor.


The problem is, as we grow older we develop an unhealthy tendency to take ourselves too seriously. We fool ourselves into thinking that proficiency at what we do in life must necessarily involve an appearance of sober attention to our commitments. To be perceived as taking our responsibilities too lightly sends, we fear, a message that we're somehow less skillful, less efficient, or less dedicated to what we're doing.

As a result, we too often pay for our seriousness with stress, burnout, and a sense that we're getting no joy out of our work. We fail to understand that it's quite possible to be sincere about our work... and our life... without taking it so seriously. In fact, learning to take ourselves more lightly is without a doubt better for our physical, mental and spiritual health.

Think of it this way: Nature gave us that sense of humor because we require it to stay healthy. Though medical science stops short of claiming that humor and laughter are capable of reversing any disease, an active sense of humor undisputedly makes sure that our body's natural health and healing systems are fully engaged in defending against disease.

Most notably, laughter has been shown to lower the level of the stress hormones epinephrine, cortisol, and dopac in the blood. And, since stress has been linked to the six leading causes of death in the U.S., a good laugh a couple of times a day may be the easiest - and most affordable - prescription for our wellness.

When we take ourselves more lightly and allow our sense of humor to influence how we view the world, we nurture a more positive, optimistic perspective of things. Our attitude about our job and our life almost immediately improves. Obstacles seem less formidable. Troubled relationships appear less difficult to mend. And, as we replace high-stress emotions like anger, anxiety, and fear with compassion and a positive attitude, we are able to respond to adversity and challenges with a calmer, clearer perspective. We enjoy life more.

It's ironic, I suppose, that as we grow older, take on responsibility and the need to deal with the obligations and tragedies of our lives, we tend to ignore our most powerful resource for maintaining our emotional and physical health - Laughter. According to William Fry, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Stanford University Medical School and an expert on health and laughter, the average kindergarten student laughs 300 times a day. Adults, on the other hand, average just 17 laughs a day.

Perhaps it's time that we recapture a bit of that lightness we knew as children, a time when each day promised opportunities. When we took ourselves lightly and understood the pure, cleansing delight of a good laugh.