Having an Awesome Life: Lesson #4, Hilarity Ensues

Today is April Fool's Day, which perfectly coincides with my newest Awesome Life Lesson.  And that, in a nutshell is:  Laugh your ass off.

Have you ever seen the way that kids can giggle and practically make themselves ill with laughter?  Could you do that as a child?  I can remember some vivid incidents where I laughed so hard that I peed my pants.  And I'm not embarrassed to admit it, either.  (Well, maybe a little.) 

As adults, we need to get those pants-peeing laughter moments back into our lives.  This time around, though, most of us are old enough to control our bodily functions.  It's not always an easy thing to do... the laughing part, I mean.  Hopefully the peeing part is much more simple nowadays.

If you have family and friends, you probably share certain facets of your humor with them.  Why not explore that funny, silly side of yourself?  Read and tell jokes.  Even if they're stupid, I bet you'll get a few smiles and giggles -- if only for how silly you are while telling them.  Laugh at yourself, and laugh at one another.  Good-naturedly, though, of course.  Get silly.  Stop worrying so much about looking cool to other people, and start enjoying yourself.  (And anyway, isn't it soooooo much cooler to not give a crap what people think?)

Watch a movie that looks hilarious to you.  Read funny books.  Go back and remember the funniest moments of your entire life -- or some of the things you used to take seriously, which you can now laugh as they come into better perspective.  Check the internet for things that give you a chuckle.  I won't judge you if your idea of humor is Scumbag Steve or those insufferable Lolcats, though I'm partial to Success Kid memes and The Daily Bunny, which tend to be a cute-funny hybrid.  If you aren't sure where to start, type "funny" into your favorite search engine, and see what pops up.

Having an Awesome Life: Lesson #3, Passion for Compassion

One of the best things that you can do in life is to focus on other people from time to time.  This has a multitude of benefits, including three important ones which are immediately apparent.

1.  It takes your mind off of whatever is wrong with your life. When you think of people who are less fortunate than you, what comes to mind?  People without food or clothes?  Folks who have no internet?  People whose problems are so overwhelming to them that they can't get out of bed in the morning?  Sick kids and adults?  Try zooming out and putting your own problems into a new perspective.

2.  It makes you appreciate what you do have.  Sure, there are people who have it better than you.  But plenty of folks have it worse, too.  Try not to be too envious of "luckier" people; you never know what lurks beneath their smiles.  There are plenty of people who'd trade lives with you in a second.

3.  By practicing compassion, you may feel compelled to help make a difference.  And the difference benefits multiple parties.  You feel great for helping someone else, but even more importantly, even a small gesture of compassion can make a major difference to someone else.

I'd also like to add that realizing not everything is about you all the time is also just the plain-old right thing to do.   There are billions of people in the world, and we all have a back story which includes good stuff and bad.  It takes courage to zoom out and look at the big picture, so try to be brave and do it every now and again.

Get busy!  Run through your house and donate your old clothes, that chair you like but never use, the spare "doubles" of things you don't need anymore.  You'll be de-cluttering your living space, and helping someone else at the same time:  Win-win!  Volunteer to cook a meal and bring it to a local shelter -- invite your friends and make it a party!  Karma points for all, a great time that people will be talking about for months to come, and full bellies for those in need.  Another win-win!  Visit your favorite old person; be their hero for the day and give them lots of much-needed hugs.  Raise awareness for a cause that you care about.  Write a letter to your representatives about something that you'd love to improve.  Go click on The Hunger Site and allow a corporation to match your click with food for someone in need.  Adopt a pet, a highway, or a child.  Even with limited time and money, you always find ways to make the world -- and your corner of it -- a better place. 

Having an Awesome Life: Lesson #2, Courage and the Power of Change

Courage comes in  many forms.  You don't need to be a police officer, firefighter, or a life-saving superhero to be brave.  I'm sure you've already heard the saying about how "courage is not the absence of fear, but bravery in the face of fear," so I won't bother repeating that to you now. ;)

Another thing that takes courage is changing your life.  You're reading this article, so clearly you must be interested in amping up the awesomeness of your existence.  I think this is easier said than done.  Our last lesson (#1, Positivity), helps us acknowledge what is right with our lives, instead of what is wrong with it.  But it often takes real courage to admit the truth.  There are things about everyone's lives that just plain suck.  For a few minutes, I want you to get real about those areas.  We're not going to gloss them over with phrases like "needs improvement" or "not my best quality," it is OK to say "Hey, this sucks!"  Do it right now: take some time, think of maybe four or five things in your life that really just suck.  Make a brief list and come back when you're ready.

Many people's lists revolve around things like money, relationships with other people, health, or their jobs.  Some people spend their entire lives complaining about these four things.  There's always going to be something you can't fix or change, such as a debilitating illness, or the need to pay your bills.  But there are things you can do to change your life.

I don't often talk about myself in my blog articles, but this series is different than anything I've written to date, so here's a bit of background for you:  I have a rare genetic disorder (you could call it a disease, but I hate that word) which actually does make life much tougher for me than other people. It is called X-linked Dominant Erythropoietic Protoporphyria, and I'm the genetic lottery winner; only a handful of people alive today have XDEPP.  I'm sensitive to light, which means I need to bundle up whenever I go outside.  On certain days, I get get by with pretty scarves or hats and sunglasses, and I try to glamorize it all by imagining I'm the reincarnation of Jackie O.  Nevertheless, it does suck.  I can't change it, but I can make my life a bit more comfortable by dressing it up the way I like.

This also makes me much more flexible about other things.  I have to spend a lot of time indoors because sunlight is not my friend.  And yes -- it sucks not being able to go to the beach and swim around, it sucks not to be able to just go shopping or out for coffee with my friends anytime I want.  Lengthy road trips also suck, because I'm basically held hostage by the sun.  There's no use complaining about it; I just deal with it.

But as I deal with it, I also make changes to my life so that I can enjoy what is available to me.  Since I spend lots of time indoors, I make the most of my time.  I throw parties for my friends, read avidly, play video games, cook unusual things, exercise in the house (thanks to my recumbent bike & a series of great yoga & pilates DVDs); I work hard out of my home, providing readings for many of you, tweeting, blogging, and applying my skills to various business tasks.  I enjoy time inside my "bubble."  This is the environment I create for myself.  On good days, I get to go visit other people, have coffee, see live music, go on the occasional vacation, and of course, go see my healthcare providers.  I am always changing and evolving inside my bubble.  And, in recent years, as I've begun to manage my health issues better -- to my delight, the bubble is expanding, too.  Anyone can expand their bubble.  Try to seek areas that are just out of your comfort zone, and soon they will be a part of the bubble too.

Change.  Grow.  Find exciting and pleasurable things to fill the holes.  It's fine to look through the positive lens, but sometimes you also need to actively seek more for yourself.  You deserve it!

Having an Awesome Life: Lesson #1, Positivity

I have decided to dedicate 2013 to helping my readers improve themselves in a more general way.  Are you ready to have an awesome life?  Ready to enjoy each moment and live life to the fullest?  Then this is the series for you!  If you've tried all kinds of ways to improve the life you have, read on... you may find the answers you seek in my "Having an Awesome Life" series. :)

Let's start this year off on the best possible foot!  January's step toward a more awesome, more fulfilled you is the easiest (and conversely, the hardest) step of all:  Reclaim your personal power by seeing your life through a positive lens.  Now, that isn't to say that you need to ignore or dismiss all of your troubles.  However, it is important to enhance and enjoy the stuff that's already going right.  Does your day at work suck?  I'm sure you have a bad day from time to time (and possibly more bad days than good!) but think about all of the good stuff about your day-to-day routines that you love.  Are you surrounded with anyone who brightens your day or makes things bearable?  Despite whatever is going on around you, have you somehow managed to make your rent or mortgage payment?  Even small things, like getting a chance to wear your favorite jeans, or the taste of your favorite home-cooked meal for dinner, or "something good" on TV tonight can be a bright spot in your day.  Try to deal with the crappy stuff, but don't forget to focus on the good stuff.  And even though the saying "every cloud has a silver lining" is ridiculously trite, it's a saying for a reason -- so don't overlook those blessings in disguise.  And when you find things that make you happy -- even if it's just a favorite game online or the soft feeling of your pillow and blanket at bedtime -- acknowledge it to yourself.  Realize that these tiny things are also a part of life.

Try using your positive lens every day.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how those little bright spots can add up.  Take comfort and happiness wherever you can get it, and learn how to apply that positivity to other less-than-stellar areas of your life as well.