Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously…

Can you be the first to comment and find the hidden leprechaun in the picture?

Two Prime ministers were sitting in a room discussing affairs of state.  Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk.  The resident prime minister admonishes him: “Peter,” he says, “kindly remember Rule Number 6,” whereupon Peter is instantly restored to complete calm, apologizes, and withdraws.  The politicians return to their conversation, only to be interrupted yet again twenty minutes later by a hysterical woman gesticulating wildly, her hair flying.  Again the intruder is greeted with the words: “Marie, please remember Rule Number 6.”  Complete calm descends once more, and she too withdraws with a bow and an apology.  When the scene is repeated for a third time, the visiting prime minister addresses his colleague:  “My dear friend, I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this.  Would you be willing to share with me the secret of this Rule Number 6?”  “Very simple,” replies the resident prime minister.  “Rule Number 6 is ‘Don’t take yourself so gosh darn seriously.’”  “Ah,” says his visitor, “that is a fine rule.”  After a moment of pondering, he inquires, “And what, may I ask, are the other rules?” … “There aren’t any.”

What would happen in your life if you stopped taking it so gosh darn seriously? What would happen if you stopped treating everything as life and death? As I write this I’m watching my almost three year old nephew, Austin, jump up and down playing on a fort. He doesn’t take anything too seriously, he is always smiling and happy, and everyone that meets him, loves him for it. He always has a happy smile on his face and always makes me smile— he treats everything like a game. He treats everything as if it’s the most fun thing that he can do.

However, this morning when I was so focused on writing the best article I could, I wasn’t laughing at him. I was actually getting frustrated at him, since because he loves to play so much, he wasn’t letting me finish my article that I needed to finish.

Have you ever had one of those days where you had a pressing deadline to meet and you had so many distractions that it feels almost impossible?  I know I’m the “It’s Possible” guy but even I can’t control some of those tiny little children that can be at times very distracting. It’s so funny, I just had a great thought I wanted to write and I was distracted by one of my nephews–asking me for a blanket.:)

Now for those of you — HAHAHAH I just have to laugh because it literally just happened again… it was twice in the space of two minutes…. Now where was ? oh that’s right…. Now for those of you that have children, quite a few times a year I go out to the Midwest and visit my sister, her husband and their 7 kids– all under the age of 11, and while I am there it is incredibly challenging to get almost anything done.

This morning is a really great example of that. I woke up early at 5:30 Am, it was still dark outside and there was a chill in the air. I love waking up early and being in quiet –it’s in the quiet I believe that we can really receive revelation and direction for our lives. I had planned on expounding on a few paragraphs I had written a few days ago, and it was going really well… and then my 7 year old Nephew Tayson woke up and fortunately just lay by me and let me continue to work. And then about 6:45, I hear these thudding noises coming down the stairs and then this pitter patter running across the wooden floor– My almost 3 year old nephew, Austin had woken up and he came and sat by me on the couch that overlooks her beautiful green backyard. He looked up at me with his adorable little face and said, “Breakfast, Joseph!”

I was able to distract him by getting out my tablet and turning on an old Arsenal vs. Chelsea soccer match on my tablet, Go Arsenal! Finally, I he talked me into getting up and eating breakfast with him which I just love to do. He sits and laughs as we eat, making me smile. and then sitting back and trying to get the flow of the article again.

After we ate, I attempted to get back into writing that article, and the flow just wasn’t coming back. Now the article that I was writing was quite a bit more personal and I really wanted to make sure I could get my thoughts together before I posted it. However, since it wasn’t flowing and I wasn’t going to have the quiet that I felt I needed to finish it, I tabled and for another week and decided to just start another article that wasn’t quite as personal. I also just had to take a few breaths and realize that sometimes life just happens, and you just have to laugh  about it.

Like I said above, we have to remember rule number 6 and not take ourselves so seriously. Sometimes, we need to laugh, sometimes we need to take a few breaths. I think sometimes we worry and fear that we aren’t going to be able to get done what we need to in time, but in my experience when we do the best we can, Heavenly Father really comes through and helps us do even better. Maybe we actually worry way too much.

What if we could be more like little kids with a sense of awe and wonder? I think we really can when we understand that we aren’t in control of anything anyways. What if we could trust more in GOD above, and what if we could just live our life like a sense of adventure?  After all, if we were able to just have a bit more faith in GOD above that he is actually driving the car that we are riding in taking us where we need to be and helping us to arrive exactly on time!

How is it that a little kid can have so much faith and a sense of adventure, and NOT taking anything seriously. Yes of course little kids get hurt by taking on too many risk, but often times they aren’t seriously injured. A few cuts, a few scrapes, and sometimes even a few stiches and often they are actually okay.

What if we stopped taking life seriously? What if we were able to jump off a few more couches? What if were able to climb a few more pieces of furniture?

Of course we will get a little banged up and bruised, but that’s what we are made for!

It’s like that quote by John A. Shedd

Ships in harbor are safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

We aren’t made to just hang out in the harbor.  Maybe we are taking a few too many risk, and playing too little! Maybe it’s time we start playing more, having more fun and beginning to FLY!

And maybe it’s time we remember rule #6 and stop taking ourselves so gosh darn seriously!

Just Start now, because it’s always better late than never! When you start, the make the impossible possible!

-The “It’s Possible” Guy

Joseph

Remember You’re okay, start doing what’s possible in Your life and you will create miracles!

P.S. If this article has blessed your life, please share it! It may be just what someone else needs to hear, and they will thank you for it!