Laughing at My Own Mind

One thing I know about myself is that humor is one of the keys to my happiness.

There are moments when I hear myself talking out loud.

I say something.

Then I answer myself.

I disagree with myself.

Before long, I am playing every role in the conversation.

The judge.

The victim.

The wise man.

Sometimes all within a few minutes.

Eventually I catch myself and laugh.

I hear the drama.

The exaggeration.

The seriousness.

The stories my mind is creating.

It can be surprisingly entertaining.

Maintaining a sense of humor about myself has become important.

Even dark humor.

The kind that lets me look at my fears, my emotional storms, and my reactions without becoming trapped inside them.

Some of the conversations in my head are so absurd that trying to explain them would make them even funnier.

That is one of the quiet gifts of solitude.

I do not have to explain any of it.

I can watch the circus, laugh, and let the show end.

Every time I do, I understand myself a little better.

I let go of another piece of my own bullshit.

Another unnecessary rule.

Another unrealistic expectation.

I do not have to believe every thought that passes through my mind.

I certainly do not have to act on it.

That simple realization changes ordinary days.

Anger cools more quickly.

The mind grows lighter.

Life becomes easier to carry.

For me, happiness has a lot to do with that.

Keeping enough humor, even dark humor, to recognize that my mind can be dramatic, creative, and occasionally ridiculous.

When I can laugh at it, it loses much of its power.

That has become one of my favorite forms of freedom.