Taking it too seriously

I had a discussion with someone this morning and this blog today is a result of my thoughts after that discussion (and previous to it). I suppose if you had to title this blog, it would be about not taking ourselves too seriously.

Many people simply do not care about those around them and worry only about their own lives. Those are not the people I want to talk bout today. It is the other half of the populous. These are the people who live rather idealistically, wanting others to change and to live by what they see as right and good. These folks do not just have expectations of those around them; they hold themselves to the same high standards. In other words, they take themselves very seriously.

They work hard at everything. They take their jobs seriously. In the workplace, they mentally establish standards for performance for everyone. Those who fail to live up to those standards are criticized mentally and are often castigated to other workers. They take their health seriously. They eat right in every way and workout religiously. They even take their recreation seriously.

So here is the problem: it is not our responsibility to ensure that everyone around us is living up to the standard that we set for the world. In addition, we cannot hold others to a standard that is near to perfection. We cannot live up to that ourselves. Thirdly, when we take ourselves too seriously, we end up alone and friendless in this life. Fine, I will concede that we at least run the risk of losing all friends. Fortunately, there are friends who stay no matter the other person’s flaws. Thank God for such people!

If you are a person who takes themselves too seriously, why not lighten up a bit? Learn to laugh at yourself. Learn to give others the freedom to fail your standard without being judged. Learn to enjoy life. After all, it is short enough. And you can’t possibly enjoy life when you are so very serious. About everything.