“Grin and bear it.” That is an odd bit of advice is it not? And yet, I have found there is some truth to it. Grinning, which requires us to bring a smile to our face, does affect our emotions. Even when I don’t feel like it, if I remember to turn the corners of my mouth up instead of down, I notice a shift.
Sometimes it just takes that little adjustment to one’s facial features. Sometimes it requires more. But that subtle movement reminds me that I can choose to play instead of being so serious. Believe me. I need that reminder. It is so easy for me to get so serious about life. I have responsibilities – my family, my work, and on top of it all I have my mission in life – to bring Heaven on Earth! That is a huge undertaking.
So it takes a grin, a chuckle, a guffaw to set me straight. What am I achieving by taking life so seriously? What if I could do more through laughter and play? What if instead of ignoring my inner child, I bring her out and see life through her eyes – with innocence, curiosity, beginner’s mind? Would that not be more fun and maybe even more productive?
Seriousness has its place in life. It allows us to use logic and reason more consistently. It can allow us to know what is important from a rational viewpoint. But all of that needs to be balanced by intuition and spontaneity. Creativity requires some foundation in the rational world, but that is the jumping off point. From there creativity requires trust and flow. The rigidity of serious thought based on logic and reason, can stifle the flow.
Come spend a few minutes with me as we connect to the childlike aspects of ourselves that know better than the serious adultlike ones how to connect to creative flow. Children do it so effortlessly as they play through life. Let us learn from the child we carry within how to get to a more playful state. That is where we can connect to the joy and happiness that is our natural state.