“Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” Mark Twain
Laughter – what a blessing it is; that in the midst of pain and sorrow, we can find humor in our circumstances and laugh.
“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. And swing!” Leo Buscaglia
Humor is not just fun. It is an extremely powerful “medicine” that heals the soul and mends the body. Humor is a revival, a mini vacation, a breath of fresh air and a way to cope. Everyone has the ability to create humor and laughter. Laugh at yourself – laugh at your situation no matter how desperate it may seem.
“When we admit our schnozzles, instead of defending them, we begin to laugh and the world laughs with us.” Jimmy Durante
We can bring humor to any difficult situation. Laughter, if only for a moment, can instantly transport us to another world removing us from the intensity of the troubles of the moment.
“The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow.” H. G. Wells
Humor makes life more bearable, allows us to laugh at ourselves and our problems and gives us power over what seems impossible and powerless. It replaces hopelessness with hope.
What makes you laugh? When do you laugh the most? Here are some ways to bring humor into your life. Take one and try it on for size.
Take an intolerable situation – one packed with emotions and stress. Flip it over and “tickle its tummy.” Humor takes the edge off any crisis.
“I’m hanging on so tight, I’m getting rope burn!”
“I’m giving so much money to the doctors; they’ll want to erect a statue in my honor.”
Exaggerate. Take a bad day and blow it out of proportion. Make a mountain out of a molehill. Become your favorite comedian delivering a standup comedy. Comedians take the crises of the world and turn them into laughter.
“I had such a bad day. . . You wouldn’t believe how bad it was. It was so bad. . . “
“I wouldn’t say the rooms in my last hotel were small, but the mice were hunchbacked!” Fred Allen
Create a good news/bad news scenario by turning upsetting events into humorous ones. Start with the bad news; then end it with a humorous punch.
“The bad news is: I had all my teeth pulled. The good news is I don’t have to floss anymore!!!”
Focus on the positive in any situation versus the negative. My glass is half full instead of half empty.
“How did the play go tonight?” “Oh the play was a great success, but the audience was a failure!” Oscar Wilde, Playwright
When we hurt the world looks grey and dismal. We can change its color by finding something to laugh about every day. Start a “Happy Journal”. Paste a large smiling face on the cover and record one happy, pleasant or joyful event each day. This can include smiles, warm comments, and hugs from someone, complements, a beautiful sunset, a favorite saying or anything that makes you laugh. Smile at yourself every time you pass a mirror – then share those smiles with everyone you meet.
Marlene Anderson