佚名/Anonymous
Though we all agree that to err is human, each of us believes that she is the exception. We’re supposed to be perfect (We were also supposed to be rich and famous).
But learning from our mistakes—and accepting our plain—old averageness—is an art. So next time you break a plate or lose your keys, why not take it in stride? Consider the possibility that there is a hidden pattern behind the mistakes in your life.
1. The art of being neither rich nor famous
In order to be perceived as special and different, celebrities today strive to shun the limelight and become average folks. (Admit it: Don’t you love knowing that Sharon Stone shops at the Gap?) But regardless of how much money they have in the bank, or how much of a buzz they create when they show up at a club or charity ball, famous folks will never be able to enjoy the life you and I cherish. Small, reassuring pleasures are off-limits to them. You never see them borrowing books from the library, lingering in a coffee shop or window shopping on Main Street.
One of the saddest things about acquiring fame and fortune is that once you realize you have plenty, you may want plenty more. Often, life is no longer as good as it gets. You never say,“Enough already”.
The only difference between a wise man and a fool is that the wise man knows he is a fool. In the same way, the only difference between an extraordinary life and an ordinary one is the extraordinary pleasures you find in ordinary things.
2. Be foolish in public
Honest and gullible, trusting yet reckless, playful but insecure: These are what it takes to be silly. It is usually the result of a combination of our sterling qualities and our quirky personality traits. We are truer to ourselves when we stop making sense. Unlike standup comics who set out to be funny and get heckled if they are not silly people become lovable simply by embracing the role of the other guy, the character who bumps into walls and shows up at parties with socks that don’t match.