Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously: The Value of Having a Sense of Humor

Almost nothing is more helpful in dealing with people than a sense of humor. Now, a sense of humor doesn’t necessarily mean a knack for telling jokes. Rather, it means the ability to take some setbacks and still see that the world has not come to an end.

If you can keep from taking a situation or yourself too seriously, you’ll ge much better results. If you don’t take yourself too seriously, there are always things in any situation that are still amusing, that you can still smile about. And a smiling, cheerful leader invariably wins more cooperation than a grim or gloomy one.

If all you do in a crisis is add to the heat and confusion, people will soon lose respect for your abilities under pressure. But if you can maintain your sense of proportion and humor when the world seems to be falling apart, people who rely on you will show their appreciation in better work and greater loyalty.

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Yes, some problems are serious — but there’s nothing to be gained by exaggerating their importance. Get in the habit of taking yourself and your problems less seriously. Learn to smile at yourself and the world as well. You’ll get better results — and actually have more good things to smile about — when you do.

The above tidbit is from the company that writes Bits & Pieces, Ragan Communication. They have some great advice to help you stay on track!

In addition to not taking yourself too seriously and maintaining a sense of humor, I might add that it’s a good idea not to waste your time worrying. I often find myself worrying about one thing or another, just to have a friend remind me that there is no point in worrying about something before I know the outcome. That’s not to say I shouldn’t be prepared (I like to be ready for all possible outcomes!)… BUT there’s no need to spend half my day with negative thoughts bouncing around my head. If you find yourself in a similar situation: Think about your possible outcomes, your possible solutions and move on…. don’t take your problems too seriously…

Need some suggestions on how to maintain a sense of humor? Check out this article by Reader’s Digest.

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