Life is not that serious

This morning, I was agitated. I hardly slept the night before, I was feeling anxious and fearful over some personal issues, and irritated over some professional ones. I was stewing during my workout (because exercise has become a habit for me, and I don't let my feelings dictate whether or not I do it). I had decided it was just going to be one of those bad days.

I finished my upper body lifting for the day and hopped on the spin bike for a quick Peloton class. While I was pedaling my bike to nowhere, I was reminded of a powerful thought I've been working through lately: life really isn't that serious. We all take ourselves far too seriously.

Now, I'm not trying to say that life is insignificant or meaningless. Far from it. Nor am I saying that there aren't real troubles (major health problems, financial strife, grief, trauma) that make life genuinely difficult. But most of us deal with bad moods like the one I had today, quite frequently, and it's typically the little irritations and annoyances of day-to-day life that get under our skin.

Most of the things we're worried about today won't matter in ten years. And one day, we are all going to die, and no one is really going to remember our names or care about us as much as we think they will. So, can we stop acting like everything is such a big deal?

While I was on the bike, I reminded myself that emotions come and go like waves. I was going to accept that I was having a rough start, let that irritation be there, let it move through me just like every other emotion had before, and get on with my life.

Not only is it not that serious, but life can be fun, too. What happened to me this morning was on an average workday. After the gym, there'd be hours of meetings, emails, presentations, and proposals. But I've decided to start asking myself: What can I do today to bring joy and fun into my life within the circumstances I have? How can I let go of this upset and remind myself that this too shall pass?

So if you're struggling today, rest assured that it doesn't have to mean so much. Accept it, move through it, and recognize it's not that serious. And if it is? Know that I am praying for you (seriously) and that this too shall pass, even if it feels like it never will.

P.S. AI does not write my blog posts :)