1,440 Laughs

 

"In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact." — Les Brown 

It also means we have 1.440 moments to laugh. Now, I’m not suggesting we laugh all daylong because that would exhausting and a sure fire way to find yourself being admitted to a hospital for testing purposes. 

Typically, people let one thing bug them — justified or not — and that takes away time that they won’t get back. I do it. You do it. We all do it. 

Think of time like currency. If someone takes $5 dollars from that $1,440, you’re not going to burn the rest 🔥 just because they took a few bucks from you. That would be illogical and expensive. 

It’s the same thing with time. It is illogical and expensive to give up the rest of your minutes to feeling badly because someone bugs you for a few minutes. 

Not everyone thinks this way. I know, I’ve tried to explain how important it is to allow yourself to play, to relax, to enjoy life when you can even if you’re working. You can be thinking complex thoughts but they don’t have to be unpleasant. I work in complex industries for a living. I still enjoy the rush of thinking about complex matters. The thrill of learning, of working on something new and beneficial. I can even perform complex calculus or build a complex capital stack for a project without feeling serious or somber on the inside. Win the contract, don’t win the contract. At least I get to noodle on something new. 

Whether we get one life or many, each moment of each day is a gift. For some this gift is met with great cognitive and emotional challenge. I’m not talking about real life suffering. I’m talking about the kind of suffering that never really happens but takes away from your life. The kind of unnecessary, self-inflicted hogwash-like suffering that belongs in a novel, not in our hearts and minds. The kind we have real control over. 

These people spread that suffering like bacterium entering the water supply. You might not be able to change how they think and respond to life’s endless array of challenges, but you can change how you respond to their downer vibe. 

Trust me, it’s not easy. I have such a bummer vibe that I have been navigating all my life. Not mine. Someone else’s. Someone that I can’t just say, have a nice day and be done. Plenty of books recommend ejecting these people from our lives. We can’t all do that. We don’t all want to do that. Boundaries are great but they don’t fix the problem. The only things that work in these situations is to have a rich inner life. To play, to play publicly so others feel like they have permission to play and be silly, and to give each conflict the most ridiculous backstory that you’re laughing instead of yelling or crying or whatever. 

Whether you spend that time laughing, thinking fascinating thoughts, helping a friend, going for a hike, riding your bike, reading a book, writing a post, playing with your kids and pets, enjoying a movie, playing video games, or just taking a leisurely stroll, just remember: 1.440 moments await you.