Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously: How to Laugh at Yourself and Embrace Your Imperfections

I had an aha moment recently. I realized that awkward, quirky, non-conformists, and imperfect people are the ones I want to do life with.

Why? Because they don’t “get it right all the time.” They like their space and don’t have to be entertained non-stop. They don’t perform and look for acceptance from others. They make me feel normal. And…the best part is that they’re able to laugh at their mistakes. 

I love it when people don’t take themselves too seriously. Maybe it’s because I’ve had a lot of practice at messing up myself. 

• A few months ago I actually walked out of a restaurant bathroom with toilet paper sticking out of the waistline of my jeans. Yes, I was that person. 
• A few years ago I showed up for a very important meeting at my kids’ school only to be told that it took place the day before. A “mom fail” moment for sure!
• When it was my turn to give a presentation in front of the entire psych class I froze like a deer in the headlights 
• ore a sweater to church with the price tag sticking out the back of it…just call me Minnie Pearl.
• and ran out of the room. 
• I peed on myself in my college gymnastics class. 
• I wore a sweater to church with the price tag sticking out the back of it…just call me Minnie Pearl.
• Last year I asked a woman “when she was due” to deliver her baby only to be told she wasn’t pregnant. Talk
• about an open mouth insert foot moment…ugh! 
• I got three speeding tickets in one day…with my kids in the car.

I could go on and on…

Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously

So many of us wear busyness like it’s a badge of honor and strive for perfectionism like it’s the be-all-end-all of lifetime goals. While we’re going a hundred miles and hour and fighting to look good we’re ultra-hard on ourselves and, as if that wasn’t enough, we’re our own worst critics. 

Here’s an idea: how about if we all lightened up a bit, embraced our imperfections and chuckled at our mistakes while we let them roll right off our backs? 

Why You Shouldn’t Take Yourself So Seriously

Laughing and embracing your imperfections can do the obvious like ease stress, strengthen social relationships and help you cope with challenges, but there are a few other reasons why you shouldn’t take yourself so seriously as well.

1. No one is really watching anyway. If you really stop and think about it, most people are focused on “me, myself, and I” and really pay very little attention to what you’re doing or how you’re performing. 
2. We’re off the mark. Perfectionism is a myth and unattainable. In other words, you’re never going to get it right all the time so the pressure is off, you can relax. The sooner you recognize this the happier you will be. 
3. Life is not a race. You are not in competition with anyone else but yourself. Sure, you can strive to be better and do better than you did before, but it’s important to put your blinders on, stay in your own lane, and “do your thing”. You have absolutely nothing to prove to anyone.
4. Let freedom ring! Laughing at yourself and letting yourself off the hook for not being perfect is liberating. You are free to be YOU and only YOU. 

How to Not Take Yourself So Seriously

1. Laugh first. Beat them to the punch. Laugh at your mistakes, missteps, and goofs before anyone else does. Laughing first will relieve some of the “elephant in the room” uncomfortableness and put others at ease.
2. Worst-case scenario. What’s the worst thing that can happen to you if people find out you’re not perfect and don’t have it all together all the time? The answer. Nothing. 
3. Perspective. Will you make a few mistakes really be a front-and-center topic in 6 months?  In one year? No, it won’t. You are human and humans make mistakes. 
4. You’re in control. Nothing can embarrass you unless you let it embarrass you. You’re in charge of your reaction. Period. 
5. Find your tribe. Surround yourself with people who laugh at themselves and don’t take their own life so seriously. Tense, stressed and overworked people rub off on others. Avoid them at all costs. 

Let’s lighten up and laugh at the craziness (both the negative and the positive) around us. Let’s laugh at the mistakes we make. Most importantly, let’s embrace our uniqueness. 

Life is a series of ups and downs and of victories and mistakes and laughter is one of the most powerful tools we can use to help us navigate through both. 

Hey, Friends, I shared a few of my embarrassing moments with you above. How about you? Send me a note and let me know some of your “uh-oh, how could I have done that” moments.