It’s the silly season all-year round

Life’s short and full of seriousness. So, my advice is to be as silly as you can, as often as you can.

The silly season shouldn’t be confined to mid-December into January.

It should apply any time life is being a drag (showing my age here) and the moment needs to be lightened and the cycle broken.

I’m not encouraging foolhardiness or rampant stupidity. Risky behaviour can lead to physical harm or incarceration – neither of which will improve quality of life, and they reduce options.

Considering someone to be silly is judgmental. The person who says, “I wouldn’t be seen dead in that outfit” is really saying, “That outfit doesn’t reflect my personality”, but it may well suit the person who is wearing it, or at least the message or mood they are conveying.

In fact, the knocker – simply by taking time to judge – is probably envious that they don’t have the courage to stand out and be noticed.

A person with a chronic condition is constantly being judged.

Their appearance, behaviour or attitude is constantly under scrutiny  by medical professionals, peers, friends  and family. Caring family members can be the harshest judges since they don’t want to see their loved-one suffer physically, mentally or emotionally. They tend to be overprotective, stifling the sufferer and limiting their opportunities.

Often, the sufferer rebels and says or does things that offend the carer which,  of course, is not in the best interest of either party.

The rebel may enter a marathon without preparing properly, showing disregard for their physical health.

They may invest in an ill-conceived business venture, placing their mental health in peril, or launch into an impulsive relationship with potentially serious emotional ramifications.

A less-preposterous response could be to travel abroad, buy a new sports car or catch up with an old flame. These actions will attract notice and garner comment but won’t innately cause harm, except in the case of a past romance that didn’t end well or either party is in a relationship. That could be dangerous.

Standing up for yourself or advocating for a cause is not silly, yet people will criticise if they don’t believe you are capable, or they don’t support the cause.

Stand up, be counted, wear a silly hat if you want to.

It’s your life – live it how you want, not how others think you should.

Spontaneous raucous laughter, particularly in a public setting such as a political rally, will turn heads and raise eyebrows. It mightn’t be preferred behaviour, but laughter is contagious.

When a politician makes an outrageous gaff, it’s difficult to hold it in, so let it out.

Others will catch on. Some may chuckle, some just smile, and others laugh along with you. Seriously, if it’s funny, laugh unapologetically.

Advice from over-caring family members, comments from detractors and dismissals from prejudiced individuals are often hilarious.

Unfounded, insensitive, ignorant views, although damaging and hurtful,  are laughable. Do it your way, get the results you want and laugh in their  general direction.

So, you’ve done what you want despite gross discouragement, and you’ve had a good time doing it.

You’ve brought joy and inspiration to many of your family and associates.

You are a winner while your disparagers are either converted or left with pie on their faces.

Who’s silly now?

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Charlie Griffiths is a certified life coach and Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner dedicated to helping fellow professionals thrive with a chronic disease or serious injury.