Laugh at Yourself

What is the difference between a joyful person and one that is often down on themselves?

I think it is having the ability to laugh at yourself.

I sit with psychiatric clients each day at work, intently listening to them, their stories, their perceptions, and then try and help them sort through their emotions and troubles.

What I find so often is a struggle to not be embarrassed, to try to be normal, to not feel inferior, to feel empowered, etc.

What I don't see very often is a person with serious mental health issues that can laugh at themselves.

Having the ability to say "that was pretty stupid," referring to our own actions, and then letting it go, laughing it away, and then moving on can be a powerful life tool.

All to often, a person relives the perceived disturbing experience, making the issue larger and more powerful, and before you know it, it has altered their perception of themselves and others.

If only it could of been laughed away.

Don't get me wrong, some things are more serious than others and need reparation, but most things in life do not carry the extreme weight that they have been attributed.

Take time to smell the roses, sometimes treading through manure, and then laugh at the situation, as well as yourself.

Finding joy all around us can make the difference in the life that we live.

God gives us plenty of opportunity to laugh, and if you have friends and family like I do, they also give you plenty of opportunity as well.

However, all I have to do is think I am special or entitled, and it isn't long before I have plenty of opportunity to laugh at myself.......