day job,  quotes,  writing process

Lighten Up and Laugh Often

March 30, 2012

I’ve been at my new job for just under six weeks and I’ll admit it probably hasn’t been long enough for me to say I’ve totally adjusted to the new schedule.  However, I am glad to say that I am doing well at adjusting to making time to write every week.  I’m very pleased with the amount of time I’ve been able to work on (yet another) edit on my first book, as well as the amount of time I’ve been able to spend writing on my second book. 

If you are patiently (and I may use this term loosely) waiting for me to finally make my books available, bear with me.  It’s a process.  I’m truly optimistic that I will have the first book published by this summer and if all goes well, the second book might be as well.  That’s the plan and I’m seriously working towards those goals.

Besides spending time at work (not to mention getting ready for work and driving to and from work), spending time with family, spending time working on the craft of writing, and, God willing, at least 7 hours of sleep, you can imagine there isn’t much time for anything else in any given day. 

But as busy and as serious as life might get sometimes, it just doesn’t cut it to always be so serious.  Sometimes, you just have to look at the lighter side of things, find the humor around you and every once in awhile, give in and just laugh till it hurts. 

It’s not often we serious, hard-working adults get to do that, is it?

But it feels so good when we do.

E. E. Cummings said, “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”

I tend to agree.

I ran across something the other day and it gave me a good laugh…not because it’s the funniest thing I’ve ever read but because after going back to work full-time in an office setting again, it made me wonder how my co-workers would react if I were to exhibit the following behavior:

Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

1)      At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars.  See if they slow down.

2)      Page yourself over the intercom.  Don’t disguise your voice.

3)      Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.

4)      Put your garbage can on your desk and label it “In.”

5)      Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks.  Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.

6)      In the memo field of all your checks, write “for smuggling diamonds.”

7)      Don’t use any punctuation.

8)      As often as possible, skip rather than walk.

9)      Specify that your drive-through order is “To Go.”

10)  Order diet water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
The above list is only half of what the original list included but these were the ones that made me smile as I imagined how anyone in an office setting might be scrutinized if they were to behave this way.   

It might be fun for a day. 

On second thought, having only been at my job for a month and a half, it’s probably better if I don’t make them question my sanity.

But whatever tickles your funny bone, I hope you find it often; whether it’s with your family, your friends, a book, an old series like Friends or Frasier, or even your pets (mine make me laugh often).

And to end this post, here’s a great quote by Michael Pritchard…

“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old.  You grow old because you stop laughing.”

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