Before a few years ago, I was so serious about my life that you wouldn’t believe it. In retrospect, I find it hilarious. I recall getting worked up over the tiniest of things. As a marketing consultant a few years ago, I was taking myself way too seriously. I spent all of my money on the outside. In addition to a Don Draper haircut and tailored suits, I had a V10-powered SUV and a Don Draper haircut. I was trying to be someone I’m not, and it was exhausting. I once went out to lunch with a potential client to meet with him face-to-face. I’d wanted to work with him as a marketing director for a large company for a long time. My suit jacket was ruined after I spilt a large amount of liquid on it during our first meeting. I thought it was awful. The situation is abysmal, to say the least. My light grey suit jacket had a large oil stain on it. Normally, you’d say, “It’s not that big of a deal. “However, I couldn’t help myself — I had to obsess over that blemish. Due to my inattention to the client’s issues, our meeting was a failure. I was only thinking about that stain and how terrible it looked. The entire meeting was ruined by my incompetence. All because I was overly concerned with how I appeared. And there are many more stories like that in my collection. Many of our actions are motivated solely by a desire to maintain our outward appearances. “What are you up to? “Despite our best efforts, many of us go to great lengths to gain the approval of those we don’t even like. Everything from the vehicles we drive, the homes we live in, the jobs we hold, the products we purchase, the words we use, and the books we read. All of this is done purely for the purpose of bringing it up in conversation with others. “What do you do?” is one of our favourite questions to answer.
Parents push their children not for the sake of their children, but rather for the sake of their peers’ success. They ask, “What does your kid do?” because of this. Your parents are anxiously awaiting an appropriate response from you. It’s not enough to say that your child is simply experimenting with life. We’re driven by a desire to prove to others that we’ve got this thing down pat. That we’ve got it all figured out. What’s the point of focusing on things that aren’t directly related to us? It’s a question that philosophers have wrestled with for a long time. Montaigne once stated: “Why is the package more important than the individual?”
I suppose it’s a problem that’s been around for a long time. But does that mean that you have to play the same game as everyone else??? That’s not going to happen. Just go with the flow and do what you want with your life. Then, as you’re doing it, have fun. Especially for yourself. “How do I stop taking life so seriously?” he asks. Self-bantering is the most important skill to master if you want to have a good time in life. Make fun of your own flaws. Those who take life seriously are often convinced that they are unique. They consider themselves superior to others in some way, whether it’s because they’re smarter, prettier, or something else entirely. C’mon, life is short. Don’t be such a jerk. Pretentiousness also prevents you from making fun of yourself.
William James, one of the greatest American philosophers of all time, sums it up perfectly: “Self-esteem and success go hand in hand, as the saying goes”. More successful people tend to be more serious. However, living a happy life is thwarted by arrogance. Take a step back and realise that you’re just like everyone else. How? The ability to relax and enjoy life is a difficult one to master, but it is still a skill that can be acquired. The most uptight person in the world can learn to loosen up even if they get upset when I don’t use a coaster on their table.
One thing we must always keep in mind:
Borrowing from others is a fact of life. You don’t have any possessions. It’s not even your own body that’s at risk. As far as I can tell, we’re all just trying to get by.” “I suppose there’s some irony in that.” The answer is a resounding yes! Stop taking yourself so seriously and take a break. It’s not, that’s why.
To put it another way:
Quit worrying about what other people think.
Tim Ferriss’ podcast recently caught my attention. I’m not sure which episode Tim mentioned this, but he practises not taking himself seriously on a regular basis. He talked about a workout he does on a regular basis. Occasionally, he dresses up in the most outlandish attire for a night out. And that’s enough to make the majority of people squint. That (unwelcome) attention, on the other hand, reduces Tim’s anxiety. “Screw it, I don’t care what people think,” that’s a great way to say it. Our collective preoccupation is with how we see ourselves. People are ridiculously self-obsessed. In addition, I’m speaking of myself. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion. However, if your ego is everything to you, this is a bad thing. Is it really that important if your hair is a little out of place or your stomach is a little exposed? Only YOU are interested. Even if they have bad hair, people with bad hair can have a good life. And so do those of us who are chubby. It’s not that big of a deal at ale. Take action when something bothers you. Don’t be sorry for yourself. I believe that’s the essence of not taking life too seriously, in my opinion, There is absolutely NOTHING about myself that causes me to feel bad, embarrassed, or stupid. I couldn’t give a fig about it. There is no reason for me to do this. After all, in a few decades, we’ll all be long gone. So why not make the most of your time here?
