It’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring; cultivating laughter, song, and dance
Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on Earth. ~Mark Twain
Well, here we are, at the final guidepost from Brené Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection: cultivating laughter, song, and dance. Three of my favorite things. All three can bring me to the highest depths of emotion. I can’t tell you why, but I know that it’s true. And it appears that I am not alone. Through Dr. Brown’s research, she concluded the following:
Laughter, song, and dance create emotional and spiritual connection; they remind us of the one thing that truly matters when we are searching for comfort, celebration, inspiration, or healing: We are not alone.
Of course, to have that connection—to actively participate in laughter, song, and dance—requires a willingness to be vulnerable. Do you ever feel self-conscious when you laugh too loud or sing in public? I do. And don’t even get me started on dancing in public. Where did we learn that? We weren’t born that way. Children laugh, sing, and dance with complete joy and abandon—until somewhere along the way, they learn to be shy about it. Until they learn to worry about making mistakes or looking silly or out of control.
Life is too short to spend it pretending we are cool, mature, or in control at times when we really want to be laughing, singing, and dancing. So how do we cultivate laughter, song, and dance? I regularly watch a couple of sitcoms that are sure to make me laugh (The Middle, Modern Family, and Bob’s Burgers, to name a few). It helps to watch them with others, who also enjoy the humor. I listen to music at work and when I run. I sing to myself while I get ready for the day and sometimes out loud with Larry when a good song comes on the radio. Dance is less a part of my everyday life; though, I love watching So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars. For this month’s guidepost focus, I’m dancing (in the privacy of my own home) every day to a song that always makes me smile, appropriately named You Always Make Me Smile by Kyle Andrews.
Who or what makes you laugh?
How do you incorporate music into your life?
What are some of your favorites songs?
Is dancing a part of your life? How so?
For the safety of myself and those around me, I no longer dance! I do however listen to music every day at work and sing ridiculously loud along with the radio on the drive there and back. I also communicate via song snippets with Saira (much to her chagrin). As for laughter, I’ll take any opportunity to laugh or make a joke. Humor has always been my first instinct, occasionally to my detriment! 😉
I love it! What is the last song you were listening to? Were you singing along?
Technically, the last song I listen was some random song on the radio. The last song I put on with intention and sang to was So Far Away from Carol King!
Great memories. 🙂
I sing with great abandon in my car. When my daughter AnnaLynn was about 2 her first full sentence was, “I want out!” because I wouldn’t stop singing while she was trapped in the car. That is a passion my children can’t deflate. ?
I love that story. Just wait until she gets old enough to make the music selections. You’ll probably want out. 🙂 The good news is the driver has veto power! When Ashley was an early teen and I was driving her a ways to school, we’d listen to my music in the morning and hers in the afternoon. I think we both expanded our musical appreciation. I can sing along with Beastie Boys and Green Day, and she can join in on Simon & Garfunkel and Carole King.