I've had my moments in life, my ultra-serious moments. I've been called intense more times than I'd like to admit. I am a recovering perfectionist and someone who is learning more every day about the importance of keeping things light.

Over the past decade of my professional life I've found myself wanting to please everyone, and through this process I've gotten into the habit of taking myself too seriously. Yes - there are moments where professionalism is completely appropriate and important, but at the end of the day we need to also remember that this is our one chance at life, our one chance to enjoy and have fun and take risks, and laugh it off.

My husband is a pro at this. His quote below should probably read, "Life is too important to take nothing seriously." But, that is where we balance each other out and where I've also found that this approach is refreshing. People gravitate towards him. People want permission to be less serious. People want to feel good and accepted and have fun more than they want to be critiqued, questioned, and judged. At the end of the day, life is about perspective and learning and improving. We won't remember who was right or wrong, or if a situation went off without a hitch; we'll remember the moments and the things that made us smile.

Next time you're feeling anxious, concerned, and like everything has to go perfectly, ask yourself: is this one of those critical moments? What will happen if things don't go according to plan? Can I make light of the situation?

So now I'm focused on not living #thisseriouslife, but in fact living #thisredlife because when I'm old and tired and look back on my days, I'll be happy with how I spent them, smiling, laughing, and enjoying as many moments as possible.