Inside: Stop Taking Life So Seriously: 5 Reasons Why.

For my daughters Sweet 16, we thought it would be fun to fly our family and two of her friends to Disney for a week. We also included our closest friends and their daughter for the trip. After a week of fun and exhaustion, our flight home got delayed. The delay started as an hour and then quickly turned into overnight and the next morning.

We arrived at the airport at 4:00 PM for our flight and didn’t take off until the next morning at around 9:00 AM. We slept on the airport floor since there were no hotels available. It was not ideal but we were with friends and made the best of it. Finding an open bar at 2:00 AM didn’t hurt.  We laughed a lot watching other people lose their minds.

The point of my story is that we too could have all lost our minds and been angry. Instead, we made arrangments for our dogs at home, took our food vouchers, and raided Starbucks of scones and muffins, and made the best of the situation. We found the humor in it. Sometimes that’s all you need to do.

We’ve all heard someone in our life say “stop taking life so seriously”, especially in our younger years.  Many people are too serious or take themselves too seriously. They’re “stuck up” or “full of themselves”, complain constantly or dare I say….they are just a pain in the ass.

As much as I write about being the best person you can be and of personal development and growth, it’s important to let loose every once in a while and realize that you might need to stop taking life so seriously.

5 Reasons Why YOU SHOULD Stop Taking Life So Seriously

 

What you don’t know is a lot

I know that you’ve encountered someone who claims to know it all. I have someone in my life right now like that. It would be easy to walk away but sometimes you’re stuck with family. What I’ve come to realize is that there is just too much to know. It’s that simple. No one has this whole life thing figured out. We don’t know it all and neither does anybody else. Including you, (or your annoying family member)

No matter how hard you may try to be a perfectionist know that it isn’t possible. Trying to be perfect has the opposite effect and only causes more stress in your life.

What you don't know is a lot

 

Life is too short

The cliche is to live every day like it’s your last on the planet and honestly, that’s not a bad idea considering you never know. There’s a story on the news every single day about some poor guy or gal that was changing a tire on the side of the road and was run over and killed. Or what about a family on vacation in Thailand when a Tsunami comes through and they all drown.

Terrible stories like this are rampant. I’m not suggesting you live your life out of control but don’t wait for tomorrow, because tomorrow is never guaranteed. Step out of your comfort zone once in a while and challenge yourself.

Your time on earth is limited. We only have one go at this!  Wouldn’t you prefer to be a happy person who laughs? And, don’t listen to people who try to bring you down! Most likely they are jealous of you and are trying to bring you down to make themselves feel better.

Life is too short

 

 

Serious people are a drag, laugh a little

Nobody wants to be around the person who is always serious and never any fun! People want to be around people who have fun. Find places to laugh and I promise you will feel better after just about any terrible day. A comedy club, a funny movie, playing with your kids, or just a night out with friends are all situations where you can find laughter. It is the best medicine.

Dog Lol GIF

 

Worrying stinks!

A quote that I always use is “Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace”. Serious people wind up becoming stressed and full of anxiety by situations they have zero control over. Anyone who follows me on Facebook will understand when I say that EVERY flight I take, and I don’t fly often for work, is delayed for some reason or another. Most times it doesn’t affect my schedule being a couple of hours late. It’s frustrating but there are many other times I just have to laugh. It almost becomes a game at this point with me.

My wife is way more of a “go with the flow” person and very little bothers her when it comes to minor inconveniences. She takes it all in stride and makes the best of the situation. I can learn a lot from her and so can many other people.

Worrying stinks!

 

 

You are but a dot in the universe

Sometimes we just need to readjust our perspective and think more positive and realize that we are a flea in the universe, a speck.  We are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Enjoy your life as much as you possibly can and do your best to make other people’s lives happy as well.

You are but a dot in the universe

 

So what am I saying in all of this? Just be silly now and again. Learn to laugh at yourself and find the humor in all situations. Stop taking life so seriously. It can all change in an instant so why not enjoy every moment while you can!

“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive” –  Elbert Hubbard

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine” – Lord Byron

 

What do you do to stop taking life too seriously? Comment below I’d love to hear from you.

19 Comments

  1. Tracy @ Cleland Clan

    Great philosophy! Making the best of a situation gives you a story to tell later. I’ve been on delayed flights and missed connections. Those are the stories you remember and share with future generations. Getting upset doesn’t solve anything.

    Reply
  2. Erica (The Prepping Wife)

    Since the Coronavirus, I’ve really had to become flexible and adapt to different things. Which is difficult for me, because I like plans. Changing my plans in the middle does not make me a happy person. But that does happen a lot lately, and I’m learning to just go with it. I strive to be like your wife, but I’m nowhere near that yet. Often times I have to just stop and laugh because whatever is going on is too stupid for words. If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry kind of a thing. So I might as well enjoy the moment.

    Reply
    • Scott DeNicola

      Well let’s hope there will never be anything like this again so we might as well enjoy as best we can.

      Reply
  3. Nicole Anderson | Camping for Women

    Usually, I find that most people who really take things so seriously and who stress so much are doing it about things that they have zero control over. You made this point very well here. If only people could learn to accept that there is simply no point to getting so worried if they can’t change anything, the happier they will tend to be. If on the other hand, you can do something about it, then focus on doing that, rather than indulging in stress! This is a concept that you would like to think most people could logically work out, but this is so often not the case.

    Reply
    • Scott DeNicola

      Some people prefer to live in the drama.

      Reply
  4. Sarah Emery

    I love this post. There have been a few unfortunate situations I’ve been in, where it was out of my control. What was in my control, was how to handle it…. it’s always great to have a sense of humour:) We sometimes need to check ourselves and remember the bigger picture. Cheers to this post!

    Reply
    • Scott DeNicola

      Laughter is a cure for so many things. Especially in these crazy times.

      Reply
      • Kay

        This is a great point. Sometimes there are things in a day or week that happen and if there’s nothing that you can do, you may as well enjoy your time instead of worrying or getting upset. I see both ends of the spectrum with friends of mine. One who can become so annoyed at the smallest situation to the point a whole afternoon can be ruined. On the other side, I have a friend who is so care free, nothing seems to bother her much and she’s just a fun person to be around! Your post has me thinking which person I’d rather be!

        Reply
        • Scott DeNicola

          I go between both sometimes but I’m a work in progress. 🙂

          Reply
  5. Melanie williams

    LOVE this and I could not agree with you more. I think it is all about balance, but sometimes we need to just let go and have fun x

    Reply
  6. Britt K

    Yes! There are so many situations where you can stress out or roll with the negativity rather than finding the positive side of life. Honestly, I’ve seen A LOT of it right now with this whole lockdown situation. I’m not saying that it doesn’t suck to be confined to the house unable to go visit my favourite local cafe or head out camping (we’ve had 2 trips cancelled thus far), but we’re being given the opportunity to slow down and enjoy time together as a ‘pack’. For that I’m thankful. I’m also thankful that we have a nice yard where we can spend some time. We set up the tent a couple of weeks ago and ‘camped’ in the back yard with the pups – it was so much fun!

    Reply
    • Scott DeNicola

      You just have to make do with what you’re given sometimes.

      Reply
  7. Kat

    I really like the first and the last on this list. It’s so true that we don’t know everything and sometimes this makes us misjudge a situation. This post was a good reminder for me to chill out, as I’m currently stuck in my very noisy flat; the upstairs neighbours have a heavy tread and a love of moving furniture around, the nextdoor neighbours like to blast their music with open windows and the across-the-hall ones cook with garlic! Lots of patience required, but I’m trying 🙂

    Reply
  8. Lyosha

    It’s a great advise! i think it will actually make your life more simple and so happier! Thanks for this, I need it today (been worried about little things ever since morning)

    Reply
  9. Subhashish Roy

    I love that. We are a dot in the universe is so very true. Life is short anyways and how long nobody knows. So why make a big deal about it. Our worrying affects no one except us. I so much agree with your thoughts as always.

    Reply
    • Scott DeNicola

      Thanks for the comment Subhashish

      Reply
  10. Thuy-Linh Phan

    I’m usually the “go with the flow” person too, but I also enjoy being friends with planners and perfectionists. Although we can’t control every situation we are kept in balance so we aren’t either extremes; too passive or too meticulous. I don’t take myself too seriously and am the goofball of my friends, I enjoy a good laugh once in a while because life’s too short not to enjoy yourself.

    Reply
  11. Kayleigh

    I can be the worrier of our family. But actually this self isolating season due to coronavirus has been really good for me! It’s making me chill out a lot more. I’m finding I’m less stressed than in the past, which is ironic since all the media keeps feeding us doom and gloom and fear. Right now our biggest worry is finances with my husband unable to work due to coronavirus, but even that I haven’t stressed as much about it because really, half the country is in the same boat as my family. There’s actually a lot I am appreciating right now about our full society slow down.

    Reply
    • Scott DeNicola

      I agree that slowing down has helped a lot at my house as well. It makes you appreciate the simple things.

      Reply

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