Lighten Up, Will Ya?

In my classes this week, I've been reading the following quote by Pema Chodron: 

Being able to lighten up is the key to feeling at home with your body, your mind, and emotions, to feeling worthy to live on this planet...

...This earnestness, this seriousness about everything in our lives--including practice--this goal-oriented, we're-going-to-do-it-or-else attitude, is the world's greatest killjoy. There's no sense of appreciation because we're so solemn about everything. In contract, a joyful mind is very ordinary and relaxed. So lighten up. Don't make such a big deal. 

In the past, I've also been drawn to--and shared--this similar [yoga] quote by Steve Ross:

Yoga isn't rocket science. The only beguiling thing about it is its simplicity. It can and should be celebrated; it doesn't have to be a serious, militant painfest. Real yoga is about transcending the serious and allowing joy into your life, your body, your mind, and hopefully your practice itself. It's about lightening up. 

You know why I'm drawn to these quotes? Well, I think it's pretty obvious: they remind me to lighten up (for goodness' sake!). 

It's not that I don't like to laugh or joke, I do (!), but when it comes to the daily grind, I often catch myself being very serious most of the time. Not serious in my interactions with people, but in my interactions with my work, my schedule, my need to accomplish and move everything forward. 

I know that many of you are similarly Type-A, and probably take your to-do list very seriously, as well, so I figured we could all use a little reminder to lighten up today. 

It's funny, because until I read Pema's quote about this (I call her Pema because I feel so close to her...), I hadn't really thought about my attitude as "too serious." 

I don't think of myself as super stoic or stonefaced--I smile a lot, I love a good time, I have a lot of fun doing what I do in my daily life--but she's right, my goal-oriented side is very serious. I'll often skip the fun to get something done, I make a big deal out of the minutia, and I can easily get bogged-down by how "important" everything is. 

So, for me, lightening up is a real thing that needs to happen in order to connect with a sense of inner joy more often. I need to be constantly reminded to take everything--including life and my yoga practice--less seriously. 

What about you? Where could you transcend the serious and allow a little more joy into your daily experience? 

Something to ponder today...