Some people do not need more discipline.
They need their SMILE back.
If your serious face has become your permanent face…
this test may be for you.
LOL.
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?
Somewhere along the way…
you became TOO SERIOUS.
You don’t laugh much.
You don’t joke.
You fail to see the humor hiding in ordinary situations.
And worse…
you get annoyed when somebody interrupts your precious stone-faced seriousness with a little fun.
LOL.
Something happened.
The whole YOU may still be in there…
but the serious version has taken over management.
Humor.
Laughter.
Giggles.
Grins.
These are not signs of irresponsibility.
They can be very effective reminders that LIFE is still supposed to be lived.
THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
Becoming too serious usually does not happen all at once.
It builds.
One problem.
One responsibility.
One expectation.
One disappointment.
One deadline.
Then another.
Before long…
you are carrying everything like you personally were appointed to hold the planet in orbit.
LOL.
Taking important things seriously is appropriate.
Taking EVERYTHING seriously?
That is exhausting.
Being weighed down occasionally is part of life.
Being weighed down as your permanent operating system?
That needs looking into.
IT GIVES THE FALSE APPEARANCE OF LOAFING
There are people who see someone:
laughing,
smiling,
joking,
or enjoying their work
and immediately conclude:
THEY’RE FOOLING AROUND.
Maybe sometimes they are.
But that is not what I am talking about.
I am talking about a person who can:
work hard,
be responsible,
meet obligations,
and still enjoy themselves while doing it.
Imagine that.
LOL.
You do not have to look miserable to prove you are productive.
STAY FROSTY BUT PROFESSIONAL HERE
Of course…
there are times requiring seriousness.
Surgery.
Courtrooms.
Driving.
Signing important documents.
Processing claims.
Helping someone in distress.
Classrooms.
Customer service.
Medical discussions.
Financial decisions.
Fine.
Be serious where seriousness serves the moment.
But when the moment passes…
COME BACK.
Do not drag the courtroom face into the ice cream shop.
LOL.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES…
Fill in your own name.
A DULL BOY.
A DULL GIRL.
A DULL ANYBODY.
Why can’t someone get the work done…
and make the experience pleasant while doing it?
Think:
WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK.
You do not even have to actually whistle.
Somebody may complain.
LOL.
I mean carry the ATTITUDE.
Lightness.
Ease.
A little humor.
An ability to laugh when appropriate.
Work still gets done.
Maybe better.
YOU BECOME THE HUMOR POLICE
Here comes the warning sign.
Somebody nearby laughs.
You immediately turn and ask:
WHAT’S SO FUNNY?
Not curiously.
Judgmentally.
Uh-oh.
Now you are not simply serious.
You have joined the HUMOR POLICE.
LOL.
Someone smiles too much?
Suspicious.
Someone jokes?
Questionable behavior.
Someone appears carefree?
Clearly irresponsible.
The more serious you become…
the more seriousness seems to require reinforcement.
Soon you are defending the whole system.
That is high maintenance.
THE WORD “TEST” IS SERIOUS
Now I have developed a very sophisticated psychological instrument.
LOL.
No laboratory.
No scoring department.
No university research grant.
Just you…
and your face.
Ready?
Take the:
ARE YOU TOO SERIOUS TEST.
Relax.
There is no failing grade.
Unless you refuse to take it because the test appears insufficiently serious.
Then we already have some information.
LOL.
BEWARE OF ATROPHY OF THE FACE MUSCLES
If you stay serious long enough…
I suspect the smiling and grinning muscles start wondering whether they have been laid off.
Your face slowly settles into something resembling:
STONEHENGE.
Or perhaps:
MOUNT RUSHMORE.
No movement.
No vacancy.
Permanent monument status.
LOL.
So here is the private home test.
Do NOT perform this while:
driving,
talking to a police officer,
meeting with your boss,
having dental work,
or chewing soup.
Yes…
I said chewing soup.
If that caught you…
GOOD.
You are still reachable.
THE “ARE YOU TOO SERIOUS?” TEST
- SMILE.
Just smile.
Did it feel natural?
Or did your face seem to resist?
Any pulling?
Any awkwardness?
Did the muscles seem surprised to be called back to work?
If so…
you may need more smile reps.
- NOW FROWN.
Comfortable?
Easy?
Immediate?
Did your face snap right into position?
Hmmmm.
Those muscles may be over-trained.
LOL.
- PUT ON YOUR SERIOUS FACE.
Did anything change?
Or were you already wearing it?
Uh-oh.
If serious mode requires no transition whatsoever…
we may have located the default setting.
- PUT ON A HAPPY FACE.
Did that feel natural?
Or strangely theatrical?
Did you feel silly?
Self-conscious?
Like someone else had temporarily borrowed your face?
Interesting.
- LAUGH OUT LOUD.
Not fake laughter.
No canned HA HA HA.
Something real.
Think of something genuinely funny.
Can you get there easily?
Or do you first need written authorization?
LOL.
- LOOK IN THE MIRROR.
Now this is advanced testing.
Smile at yourself.
Can you do it without immediately correcting your face?
If yes…
progress.
If no…
we have work to do.
THE OPPOSITE COUNTS TOO
Of course…
the opposites apply.
If your face can move naturally through:
serious,
concerned,
happy,
amused,
thoughtful,
relaxed…
good.
That is flexibility.
The goal is not to become a laughing machine.
The goal is to stop getting stuck in only ONE mode.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE RANGE.
I HAVE SEEN TOUGH CASES
I have told some of my best jokes…
and NOTHING.
No smile.
No twitch.
Not even one eyebrow moved.
LOL.
Now that becomes a challenge.
I persist.
Not because I need applause…
but because somewhere inside that stone monument…
I know there is still a grin.
Eventually…
there it is.
A little crack.
Then a smile.
Success.
I am encouraged.
They, however, look surprised that their own face betrayed them.
LOL.
The tingling wears off with repeated use.
LAUGH AND THE WORLD LAUGHS WITH YOU
Look for humor.
Want to find it.
Start with yourself.
I have laughed at myself for years.
Some of the things I say…
some things I do…
some situations I get myself into…
what else are you supposed to do?
LOL.
Laughing at yourself has an added benefit.
It keeps ego from becoming too comfortable.
But use caution with others.
There is a huge difference between:
LAUGHING WITH SOMEONE
and
LAUGHING AT SOMEONE.
Know the difference.
SHOW DISCRETION
Not everything is funny.
Practical jokes that humiliate people?
No.
Someone genuinely hurt?
No.
Cruel jokes?
No.
Mocking someone who cannot defend themselves?
No.
That is not humor.
That is cruelty wearing clown shoes.
If somebody stumbles and THEY laugh first…
okay.
Now maybe we have permission.
But let them lead.
Someone in pain deserves concern before comedy.
Restraint.
Courtesy.
Consideration.
Please.
HUMOR SHOULD RELEASE…NOT WOUND
Good humor lightens.
It releases tension.
It helps people reconnect.
It makes difficult days easier.
It can soften a room.
It can even help two people remember:
WE ARE BOTH HUMAN HERE.
That is useful.
Humor that:
embarrasses,
demeans,
or injures
has missed the assignment.
LOOSEN UP A LITTLE
Too serious?
Ask yourself what you are gaining.
Control?
Protection?
Distance?
A front?
A way of hiding feelings?
A need always to appear correct?
Maybe.
But what does it cost?
Joy.
Peace.
Warmth.
Spontaneity.
Connection.
Simplicity.
That is a lot to pay.
Seriousness has its place.
It just does not deserve the whole house.
PAUSE FOR CAUSE.
When was the last time you laughed for no important reason?
Not because a comedian instructed you.
Not because somebody sent a joke.
Just because…
something struck you as FUNNY.
That is healthy territory.
DON’T MAKE HAPPINESS PASS AN INSPECTION
Another sign of being too serious?
Everything enjoyable has to be JUSTIFIED.
Why are you doing that?
What is the purpose?
What did you accomplish?
How much did it cost?
What did you learn?
Maybe nothing.
Maybe it was simply FUN.
LOL.
Not every enjoyable experience needs to produce a quarterly report.
Sometimes fun is the result.
That is enough.
RICHIE SPEAKS
Here is one Richie rule:
You do not have to look miserable to prove you are responsible.
Another:
Seriousness is a tool.
Do not turn it into your personality.
And one more:
If your happy face feels unfamiliar…
introduce yourself.
LOL.
PEARLS FROM THE BOOKS
From the spirit of Pearls for the Soul:
“Joy often returns through small permissions we give ourselves to loosen our grip on life.”
From the spirit of God I AM:
“Lightness does not weaken the spirit; sometimes it allows the spirit room to breathe.”
From the spirit of It Is Finished:
“Release the weight that no longer needs to be carried into the next moment.”
PEARLS INSIGHT
Humor and seriousness are not opposites that require us to choose one permanently.
Healthy emotional flexibility allows a person to be:
serious when needed,
playful when appropriate,
focused when necessary,
and relaxed when the moment allows.
The issue is not seriousness itself.
The issue is getting STUCK there.
A wider emotional range can support:
connection,
resilience,
perspective,
and everyday enjoyment.
PEARLS CONNECTION
This connects directly with IF YOU ARE NOT LAUGHING YOU ARE MISSING OUT…YOU ARE TAKING LIFE TOO SERIOUS INSTEAD OF FUN.
Laughter remains part of the life experience.
It also connects with THE LITTLE THINGS MATTER…INTIMACY RESIDES THERE.
Many of life’s best moments arrive quietly and with no grand purpose attached.
And WHAT’S THE HURRY?…RELAX WILL YOU reminds us that not every moment needs to be managed like an emergency.
FINAL SAY
Take the test.
Smile.
Frown.
Put on your serious face.
Put on your happy face.
Laugh.
See what happens.
If serious comes naturally…
and joy feels like heavy lifting…
you may have discovered something worth correcting.
No shame.
Just information.
Seriousness has work to do.
Let it work.
Then send it home.
LOL.
Because life contains enough truly serious things without us manufacturing more.
So loosen up a little.
Look for something funny.
Laugh with somebody.
Laugh at yourself.
Smile for no reason anybody else needs to understand.
And if all of that seems completely ridiculous…
I have one final diagnostic question:
ARE YOU TOO SERIOUS TO TAKE THE TEST?
LOL.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
Been expecting you