“Serious. Fun.”

Those were the only two words printed on the back of a girl’s shirt yesterday morning as I was running down the East River in Manhattan.

Frankly, it was divine timing that I saw that. Just the day before, I was spiraling myself into the non-stop, go-go-go, incessant work mindset I had been so accustomed to during my Goldman Sachs banker days.

My to-do list was 17 items long day after day for the entire week. Every time I crossed something off, 3 more things popped up.

I read the words on the girl’s shirt, but didn’t think much of them.

When I got back to my apartment 10 minutes later I looked at my computer and had a couple of emails from Jay Shetty. I graduated from the Jay Shetty Certification School last year for my life coaching certification, so I still regularly receive email updates from them.

I saw that email and laughed to myself. It truly made me feel like the Universe was trying to send me a message. Front and center as I opened the email there was a crafted picture with words on a sign. It read, “Take life less seriously. Take fun more seriously.”

I was clearly being asked to pay attention to this message and not dismiss it. Almost verbatim it showed up twice for me in the matter of a few moments! Truly synchronicity at its finest.

The email mentioned that there are things in life that should be taken seriously. These include the protection of the planet, safety of yourself and your family, and creating a better world. But it also talked about taking FUN more seriously.

To me, this means being able to live with a light heart because you deeply know and feel that you are safe, loved, guided, and worthy.

Life is oh so serious. Between juggling your work schedule and finances, managing your social meet-ups, and taking care of your physical health, it feels like everything is a task that needs to be checked off.

Jay went on to talk about fun as a form of love. 

When you are able to enjoy your life without getting incessantly caught up in the grind, things start to look a little different from the lens of your eyes. It all comes down to a balance.

With fun interspersed throughout your days and weeks, the work you do and the duties you carry out are able to carry a lighter energy with them.

Yes, we all have things we need to accomplish, but the key is finding the energetic balance between having fun and grinding yourself to the bit for the sole purpose of being successful.

As I come up to my mom’s two year passing anniversary, I am reminded of just how precious life is. It is unpredictable. It can be short or it can be long. There will be bouts of sickness, and states of pure ecstasy. 

My mom worked up through the very morning of her surgery, and in the end, she didn’t take any of the money she earned, nor possessions that accumulated in our house, with her.

Life moves fast and we can often lose our perspective when we’re so stuck in our narrative of achieving the material success and accolades we so deeply desire.

I challenge you as we head into the Dog Days of Summer – what is one thing you can do to make everyday FUN for you?