I'll take that wisdom with a side of laughter, please.
Ok, last week I suggested that we can cultivate laughter and humor just like we can cultivate happiness, creativity, optimism, or problem solving. (You can read that post here.)
Some of you responded with new recommendations for shows and stories and sources of laughter.
Our streaming queue runneth over my friends...keep the suggestions coming!
Just to hammer the point home that our impulse to grow and improve need not be overly serious, I am sharing this week an oldy but a goody.
In February 2004 Malcolm Gladwell gave a Ted talk that is inspiring, informative and quite playfully entertaining.
Side note: If you don't find the whole 14 minutes entertaining you may at least get a chuckle out of the laborious and aspirational way that "Ted" explains itself at the beginning of the video... What a lesson in branding, that we now would need only to hear the signature Ted talk "ping" to understand what we are about to experience but back in 2004 there were so much more to say!
Gladwell's talk is about pasta sauce, coffee, choice, and happiness.
It's also about embracing diversity, the evolution of science, and the limits of universal principles.
I could quite possibly talk for days about the implications.
The video is an excellent way to spend 14 minutes...it is so charming and relatable and funny that I am sure you will want to spontaneously talk about it with someone within 24 hours of watching.
And if, like me, you relish your entertainment with a little wisdom...then here is what I propose Gladwell's talk challenges us to question:
Do I know what I want?
Do I understand what will truly increase my happiness?
Is there an ideal career?
Is there a perfect job?
Am I pursuing (or obsessing about) universal principles where universals do not apply?
The lessons Gladwell outlines drive home for me all the reasons we benefit from reflecting deeply on our beliefs about ourselves and our world. The importance of staying open to new possibilities.
And, dare I say it, the power of having someone** that will shine a light on our blind spots and help us question our assumptions.
In good humor my friend,
Marijke Ocean Joy
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