Many a sojourning dreamer has, indeed, set out on life’s path without first knowing who he or she really is. Many others, have realized, late in life. that the race began, but that they missed the starting gun’s signal! Others, upon coming to the fork in life’s road, sat down to ponder as to the direction they should take; these may wonder, “Has life passed me by?” Still, some were made to walk another’s path; one not of their choosing and at a time when they were too young to really defend themselves. “Is it too late?” “Can I begin life anew?” If you have sojourned on this earth for any length of time, I hope you will realize the need to exercise the funny-bone! This is the exercise of being able to laugh at one self and at life! Don’t take life too seriously, none of us will get out alive! So what if you haven’t the big house, laugh you haven’t got the big mortgage either. That high powered job: who needs the stress and headaches? Too often, what we thought the definition for success was, really was just some institutions in our society-advertising attempting to make us feel small in order to get us to buy their product. Some define success in life with the adage that whoever has the most toys when they die, wins. I feel sorry for these individuals.

To me, success is achieving personal self actualization. I was born with the potential to realize my humanity and to value the humanity I experience in another individual. Becoming the human being God intended, for me, this is success. A comfortable lifestyle is nice, even potentially beneficial to the goal of realizing self actualization in life. But you can’t take any of this to the grave. And in that oblivion, none of this life will matter. Oblivion has no need of material wealth, nor of status, or of achievements.

Success lies in much laughter, delight, living in the moment, seeing the other in the same light as one sees one’s own self. So exercise your funny-bone: stop and notice the songbird in spring, see again the world as a small child does, -the universe in a snowdrop-be exhilarated by a flower, be silly, go ahead, and make a fool of yourself in front of friends. You’ll only dance on this earth a short while and you’ll look up and ask where has the time gone? Spend your time, mostly exercising your funny bone. In this short lifespan, it’s all one really can exercise.

Written by: Marie