Life is challenging and everyone is saying it these days. The economy has just added to a myriad of stresses that people are dealing with. I saw numerous couples just today alone whose relationships have become too mundane and serious. Of course, there are problems and I would be the last person to make light of the pains and frustrations that come our way. I spend much of my work time helping individuals and couples deal with these challenges more constructively.

However, an often neglected skill or habit that needs to be developed is the ability to put aside our troubles and metaphorically defy the emotional gravity that we sometimes run into in our lives. You are more than your problems and your pain and they surely don’t have to define you and your behavior. You can break free of reacting to the less than wonderful circumstances you may be in.

If you find yourself in a worried or serious state of mind, how about trying this little exercise to shed some of the heaviness and experience your “wild self.” Say to yourself, “No matter how dire my circumstances are, for the next few moments, I am going to act like I am carefree.” That’s right, for the next few moments allow yourself to be frivolous and non-productive. Out of the hundreds of people I have asked to do this exercise, not one has had a calamity because of a few minutes of taking their eyes off their problems and “pretending” that everything was alright. After giving yourself permission for the next few minutes to be “wild, crazy and reckless” and defy your “problems,” do one of the following or make up your own activity.

Ways you can enjoy your “wild self”:

1) Skip with as much energy as you can, leaping in the air as your legs permit and swinging your arms forward and backward
2) Sing loudly
3) Play songs on your musical instrument or pretend to play one if you don’t know
how
4) Invite your partner to dance on your living room floor
5) Shoot some baskets at your gym or local playground
6) Play a game of charades with your family
7) Fake laughing (try it even if it seems weird to do so)

Whatever action you take, allow it to lift you past your mood. Experience your own ability to redefine who you are. Don’t let your circumstances define you. Of course, face reality and do whatever you need to do to take care of business, but that does not mean
24/7. As a matter of fact, you will probably be far more effective if you experience some blood and life energy coursing through you. You will be more alive, more creative and more attractive from the inside out. Just as important, play helps you stay in the present
moment.

In the play “Wicked,” the star character who is the Wicked Witch of the West (or is it East, I think it is West), is most definitely in dire circumstances towards the end of the play. She breaks into a song titled, “Defying Gravity.” She is able to use her powers and
fly on her broomstick as well as summon her courage to better deal with the challenges that await her. Let’s face it; life is an adventure and there are many twists and turns. Remember you have the power to defy gravity so that you can enjoy your life more and go through the twists and turns with more poise and balance.

How did this exercise work for you? Share your experience or advice in a comment below or on the Todd Creager Center for Successful Relationships Facebook Page!