In one of Loretta Laroche’s talks (comedian, public speaker, author) she shares eight big reasons why people aren’t able to lighten up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eight Reasons We Can\u2019t Lighten Up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019re too busy<\/strong>. (Let\u2019s face it? Will we ever\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0be busy?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019re afraid of what they may say.\u00a0<\/strong> (I don\u2019t know who\u00a0they<\/em>\u00a0are, but they sure stop the laughter for a lot of people.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The committee is meeting.<\/strong>\u00a0 (Many of us are filled with inner critics who want us to be terminally serious adults.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We need to be right.<\/strong>\u00a0 (It\u2019s hard to laugh if we\u2019re always proving a point.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We have a tendency to judge and criticize.<\/strong>\u00a0 (This comes up a lot, doesn\u2019t it?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ve got too many rules and regulations.<\/strong>\u00a0 (When we behave like drill sergeants and life is a forced march, it becomes difficult to chuckle.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We need to suffer<\/strong>\u00a0 (before, during, and after anything stressful.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ve got too much ego.\u00a0<\/strong> (When we\u2019re over-inflated, we can\u2019t laugh because we\u2019re afraid we\u2019ll lose our sense of importance.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t those really highlight how ridiculous the things we do are?! <\/p>\n\n\n\n We could all definitely use a big dose of lightening up in our lives! We need to stop being too busy; stop being afraid of what other people might say; stop being so critical of ourselves and others; stop limiting ourselves; stop wallowing, and stop having so much ego!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n I say we all start making more time for FUN! We need to start living without worry of what others might think; start being more compassionate with ourselves and with others; start branching out and being willing to try new things; start being grateful for everything in our lives; and start laughing at ourselves with that full belly laugh that comes from letting our egos go! <\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s time we all start choosing to LIGHTEN UP!<\/p>\n\n\n\n