I look back on my career of teaching and working with people in their darkest times, the skill I cherish most is my sense of humor. The process of looking at life objectively, rather than personally, requires light-heartedness. Why? Because all things pass, good or bad. What experiences leave in their wake follows us like a hangover. I would rather be smiling than carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.
The painful gifts of learning can be tempered by objectivity and humor. Rather than everything being about “defending ME,” when we look at ourselves from the outside in, we can make corrections without guilt. Humor helps this! “Oh no! Did I actually miss that!!?” (With a smile😊)
Obviously if someone is suffering, we are not going to yuck it up. But once the cloud passes, forgiveness is enhanced by a chuckle or two. I have seen this both in teaching and in therapeutic work. Disagreements are short-lived when we pepper in a smile.
As we observe our leaders escalate disagreements into adversarial positions, maybe someone could crack a joke or two. The light heart rises to new heights!
With love (and a chuckle or two),
Rosanne