I didn’t choose this headline because people tell me I look like Heath Ledger, although my head will pop if I hear it again, so please don’t mention it.
I’ve been too serious for too many years now.
Don’t break the rules, only give your best to everything, your time on this planet is limited, you must leave your mark, this is what high performance looks like, this is what must be done and so on and so forth. How about we slow down for a minute, hey? Bring a bit of playfulness.
I read in a book that the sun is 4 million years old in an 8 million year life span, and that it’ll get hotter when it gets toward 5 million and then evaporate everything. Do you know how important you are in the scheme of that? Not very important mate.
But don’t worry, I say that with a wry smile and an irony in my voice. We’ve cute little brains. Cute and clueless; assuming that people know our story, that we are part of the plot, that even the highest of societal accolades will reserve us a spot in anyones mind for more than a decade after we pass.
So, why so serious? About everything? Let your hair down - it could be fun if you wanted it to be. You know what I’m talking about, this whole silly set up. Bring a smile to your meeting and tell your boss you’re having a ‘fandabydozy day’. She’ll probably think you’re an idiot, but in an endearing way I’m sure.
I’m not telling you to scribble on your work or sabotage your colleagues spreadsheet. Doing a good job at something can be fun, very fun in fact. But if you fail or screw it up, can’t that be OK too? But wait; you’ve only got one chance at the next rung on the ladder, so you can’t balls it up. Because on the next rung after that, well, you only get one shot at that one too. Miss a rung and you are in big trouble my friend. You’ll be behind. Behind what, you ask? ‘Not 100% sure’, I’ll respond.
You’ve seen old mate, Monk-Man, on Instagram; ‘lock in’ and all that. How about cheer up mate? Let it go for a bit hey, give your Mum a ring or something. I can talk… I spent $1,300 on an entry to a triathlon. But that’s actually quite comical to be fair isn’t it, why would someone do that? Hopefully nothing to do with ego, but likely everything to do with it. Oh well, we’re all learning hey?
Of all the cliches I’m going to finish with, it’s not going to be ‘just be yourself’, because beyond my own individuality, I’m actually just amazed at the construct that I am a living animal with a brain powered by magic. Actually, let’s finish on that - you are an animal. You’re big animal that wears odd clothes and does odd movements, in peculiar buildings and social constructs that make us look a bit less animalistic. With that being said, there is truly no need to be so serious.