Guidepost #10: Cultivate Laughter, Song, and Dance - Let go of being cool and "always in control"
After diving into all three books by Brene Brown I realized that The Gifts of Imperfection is the perfect companion to the work I do around the effect stress, anxiety, and feeling like enough have on loving your body and living a fulfilling life. To share in these gifts I am writing about a guidepost a week from the book for the next 10 weeks and how to embrace each one. I will also gift a journal prompt with each guidepost for you to use. I love this book and encourage you to pick up a copy!
Guidepost #10: Cultivate Laughter, Song, and Dance – Let go of being cool and “always in control”
Within the first few paragraphs of this section, Brene brings up a brilliant point – As innately social beings, wouldn’t it be nice to get lost in collective ecstasy instead of collective fear and anxiety? I agree with her that these days we are living in a chronic state of fear, anxiety, overwhelm, burn out, and expectation. So much so that it’s become a normal state to live our lives this way as though it were normal. What happens when we cultivate laughter, song, and dance? We get to let go!
As Brene writes, “Laughter, song, and dance create emotional and spiritual connection; they remind us of that one thing that truly matters when we are searching for comfort, celebration, inspiration, or healing: We are not alone.”
This is so powerful! She is saying that when we embrace laughter, song, and dance we give ourselves permission to celebrate and heal together. Remember, shame cannot survive being talked about. It also can’t survive being shared or celebrated.
I recently wrote an article for Tiny Buddha inspired by my almost 2-year old niece and her ability to be present. I commented that children laugh an average of forty times a day, while adults only laugh an average of fifteen times a day. What a difference and it means letting go of looking “cool” or “in control” all the time.
Brene finishes this section with this, “When we don’t give ourselves permission to be free, we rarely tolerate that freedom in others…” It takes courage to let yourself be seen, even if for a silly moment of dancing to your favorite song in the middle of the grocery store, or being the only one to laugh out loud at a scene in a crowded movie theatre. But you choose to do these things because it’s good for the body and soul.
Cultivate Laughter, Song, and Dance Journal Prompt – Just kidding, your assignment this week is to laugh, sing, and dance just for fun. . Don’t take yourself so seriously!
Download a free .pdf of all the guidepost journal prompts here!
