Are We Too Serious?

Yesterday I was relaxing and channel surfing and came upon an old Ellen DeGeneres stand up routine. It was pretty funny but she did have some seriousness in one part. She talked about how we forget to get in touch with our inner child.

There are times in our lives which we forget that life was meant to be enjoyed and have fun. With jobs, kids, bills, mortgages, etc. we tend to forget about the this great joy of life. One part of Ellen's bit was running up to a stranger, touching them and saying, "your it!" Sounds so easy to do but what would people think?? They probably would call the cops on you. But there's a simplicity to this statement that sounds like so much fun. So much so I think I want to try it.

How can we enjoy life? It's so easy when you think about it. Think about when you were 8 years old. What would be your key to happiness. Here's the top 5 from my inner 8 year old.

1. Marry Davy Jones
2. Have all the Barbie's in the world
3. Never go to school and play all day
4. Live in a castle
5. Be able to fly like Peter Pan

In review of these items as an adult I can say I've completed them in my own way. But do you see how simple this is? If we can look at things from the perspective of an 8 year old, we can easily enjoy life so much more. While I never married Davy Jones, I married a great guy who looks like Steve McQueen. I'll take that.

Here's some adult minded thought which could help you be in touch with happiness.

• Take a walk - So many times we come home from work with the intention of cooking dinner and watching the news. Turn off the news which is depressing anyway and go walk. Get your spouse or partner to go and hold hands. 
• Take a class or lesson you always wanted to do - This past week I took a class on raising roses. While it sounds pretty weird, it was really cool and I enjoyed it. There are tons of freebies you can look into in your community. My husband and I did a dance class or two and laughed through the entire thing.
• Step out of your comfort zone - A couple of years ago my daughter convinced me to go zip lining with her. I was scared to death but I couldn't show it. I wanted to be tough. I was too. It wasn't easy and I walked away with more black and blue marks on my body that I could count, but I sure had fun and laughed a lot. 
• Become the tourist - We all live in different parts of the world but have you ever taken the time to be the tourist of your area? Pick a local town and do the touristy thing. It's fun and you see things you never knew were there. 
• Create something beautiful - Last Friday my friends and I went to a place and painted ceramic figures. Boy it was so relaxing and fun. Yesterday I planted an herb garden. I've even tried making a terrarium. Making something beautiful isn't hard. Just takes your inner 8 year old. 
• Live your childhood dreams - I kind of do this! I teach yoga. To me, this is play but also my passion. When I do yoga, I can fly like Peter Pan too. I live in an amazing house my husband and I build; thus it is my castle. 

Don't take life too serious. Why should we? My adopted daughter Suzi and her wife Lisa live life on their terms! They work virtually, bought an RV and travel the U.S. embracing life and laughing. I look at life sometimes through my daughters eyes. At 25, she's wide open and learning so much. I don't want to be that age but it really is awesome to see the greatness she's doing.

Stop being so serious! It causes wrinkles.