Learn to Laugh at Yourself

Life will really go so much better, so much smoother, and be so much more fun if you can laugh at yourself. If you don’t take yourself too seriously. I mean, think about it. If you are uptight and expect a lot out of yourself, then when you goof up, you’re going to be frustrated or disappointed. But, if you know you’re going to make mistakes and can just laugh about them, life will be so much more enjoyable. I’m not here to say that you should have low expectations of yourself. It’s more an attitude of knowing you’re not perfect and being willing to laugh when you fall, rather than beat yourself up over it. If you can learn to laugh at yourself in those moments, you’ll be happier. And more relaxed. And you’ll not only cut yourself some slack but you’ll probably go easier on others too which means your relationships will be a whole lot better.

Think of your most embarrassing moment. How did you react when it happened? Want to know mine? It is embarrassing. Truly embarrassing. And every once in a while, I am tempted to feel stupid or bad or lame. But, I know I am not stupid or bad or lame. Just gullible sometimes. I choose to laugh about it. Makes it sting less and allows me to move on. Here’s what happened:

I was hanging out with my kids one morning. (And it might help my ego just a little bit if you know that I’m really not a morning person. At all. Not even a little.) We were all piled in my bed, still waking up, talking and hanging out, when my son, in all seriousness, tells me that “if you say ‘gullible’ really slow it sounds like ‘green beans.’” So, I say, “gulllll-i-blllllle” real slow. And I pause. And then I say an emphatic, “No, it doesn’t.” Another big pause. Too long a pause really. And then it dawns on me. I have fallen for his trick. I am the epitome of gullible. The poster child. And I am mortified. The kids are laughing. Hard. I’m feeling like an idiot. I mean, really? Am I that gullible? Apparently! But we had a good laugh. And ever since that day, every once in a while my son will, out of the blue, say “gulllll-i-bllllle” and we crack up. (I choose to see myself as “trusting” rather than gullible. Sounds like a much more positive trait, doesn’t it?) Laughing about it means I don’t take myself too seriously and, therefore, can’t take others too seriously either. I’d much rather find humor in my most embarrassing moment than let it get to me and feel stupid. Life’s just too short to get hung up on all that. So, laugh at yourself. Go easy on yourself. Give yourself permission to goof up now and then. And when you do, have a good laugh.