By Shashi Narasimhiah

My own understanding is that our seriousness essentially stems from worries and over-thinking due to our ego and self-importance and not appreciating how small we are in the larger realm of creation.Imagining a different kind of a holiday? I only meant a holiday from our seriousness. Bertrand Russell once said – “If you are beginning to think that what you are doing is very important then you need to take a holiday”!!Our very own Lord Krishna too was known to be playful while being the ultimate enlightened Guru that he was.Therefore isplayfulness and happiness an attitude intended by the Creator?

Going back to my own roots, our very upbringing madeus emotional and serious.Being playful was always seen as irresponsible. Since a very young age even as a child it was ingrained in our brain to be serious – We all remember our teacher in school ordering us – “be quiet, no laughing in the class” and we were reprimanded for being playful in the class.I passed on the same trait to my child too. Add to that the pressures of today’s life –playfulness, humour and happiness seem to come at a premium. The upbringing and lifestyle unfortunately has put us in a situation from where we have to consciously “try” to be happy or playful or joyful or to smile!!Many even take to alcohol and drugs to feel happy!!We all like happy people who laugh and make us laugh. It makes us feel that we can let our guarddown a bit. We are more comfortable with happy and playful people with whom we too can laugh and be happy.A two year old child is a happy bunny, laughs a lot and makes others around happy, smile and laugh. In contrast consider some of the grownups –whoseem to have long faces, always seem concerned, scared and anxious about something. No wonder, we relate more readily to a two year old.So, should we be learning from a two year old? Or should we all bring back the “child” in ourselves? I have known elderly people who never lost the child in them and the moments I have spent with them are priceless!!Many great personalities– Mahatma Gandhi, Barrack Obama to name just two exuded/exude a great sense of playfulness, happiness and humour.It is said that if we maintain a few hours of playfulness in a day our physical body will function better, some demonic qualities inside us geteliminated,our sleep quota will come down and meditation may become a natural process. Playfulness brings a life which is more liberating.And importantly, we may make the others around us happy and so make more friends!!

Only after living as a member of anethnic minority group in amulti-cultural society outside the comfort zone of my own birth place, looking at many different kinds of peoples, cultures and ways of life, only after facing and then partly recovering fromsetbacks, ups and downs, after making myself a laughing stock many times (still do!!), did I realise that being playful is the most responsibleand the only way of living our life andit is counter-productive to walk around with a long unhappy face.Only when we are playful and look happy, can we be responsive to life around us. I also realised that happiness and playfulness comes from within ourselves and that is not dependent on any external source. My experience is that when we are too serious, no one wants to be with us and life around feels empty. I have noticed that those who are playful can bring out better solutions to problems at hand, since they have the capacity to look at it more dispassionately. Now my claim is – humour is my hobby, playfulness is my religion and happiness is my meditation – although there is much to practice and achieve!!

We all know thepopular laughter club (originally started by Dr.MadanKataria of Mumbai) which is based on the theory that we don’t need a reason to laugh. Laughter is known to bring several benefits –creates psychological distance from problems,reduces high blood pressure, creates a positive and happy emotional state whichbrings people together, can improve interpersonal relationships,removes inhibitions,and increases the levels of endorphins in our body,boosts optimism, self-confidence and feeling of self-worth and much more….

A funny real-life incident –I, in a formal suit and a tie had some time to kill before my flight back home from a regional town, strolledinto a clothing retail store in the mall and after lazily looking around for a while decided to buy two pieces of casual clothing from a clearance rack for just $5 each. When I took it to the counter the playful lady who was obviously watching me all along quipped – “I see you too are a big spender like me!!” I could easily have felt offended, I could have got angry at her, made a long face and walked out but instead I decided to laugh (at myself) with her. That switched on an instant connection between us and from then oncould communicate with ease.We had a few friendly and cheeky exchanges of banter, laughed even more and this led to the lady behind the counter stepping aside and spending more time with me showing me more stuff in her store which was up for clearance sale.Despite being strangers, we ended up speaking on many other topics of mutual interest. I spent a lot of time there and importantly both of us were happy to the extent that I have pleasant memory of the incident!!

On the other hand, when my friend was walking out of a restaurant after dinner in Sydney very late in the evening (around 11ish), she noticed a couple of people walking in for dinner!! In an attempt to be playful, she quipped “at this time you can only get to do the dishes in here!!” The couple felt insulted and did not respond at all – they walked away with a long face.For Gods’ sake it was a joke!! Was this a result of ego and self-importance?

We have come to a situation in our world where we need institutional coaching on how to be playful, happy and how to laugh!!And in Sydney CBD we now have a “The Happiness Institute”!! And get this – four countries in the world have appointed ministers of happiness to coordinate their national efforts at achieving happiness!! Ms.Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi – Minister of State for Happiness, UAE says “For us in the UAE, happiness is very important. I am a very happy and positive person and I choose to be happy every day because this is what pushes me, this is what motivates me, this is what gives a sense of purpose to my life, so I always choose to see the glass half full”.Within India AP and MP too have Happiness Index Departments!!When we need politicians to step in to force happiness on us – believe me, being playful and being happy is getting really serious!!And now UN has declared March 20 as the International Day of Happiness.

Ok folks, now I have some serious laughing to do and I have to get serious about being happy and playful!! It would be great if you too could join me, what say?

Trivia – Norway is the happiest place. Australia stands 9th and sadly, India stands 122nd (behind even the many war torn countries – wonder why?).

(Readers are welcome to share their feedback).