Laughter

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed!" The Latin word for laughter is ridiculus, and the ability to see the ridiculous in others, and ourselves is truly a gift. Humor brings balance, it isn't merely about telling jokes, it's the way we view the world. Laughter brings health benefits too; it dissolves tension, stress, anger, grief, irritation, and depression. A sense of humor can help you rise to any challenge, handle the unexpected, accept the inevitable, and come out of most any difficulty with a smile; after all if you can laugh at it, you can live with it. Medical research has found that laughter boosts the immune system, reduces hormones associated with stress and reduces pain by releasing endorphins that are more potent than equivalent amounts of morphine. You knew that, right? Develop your sense of humor and you will become more productive, a better communicator, have more friends, because everyone loves someone who makes them laugh. Laughter keeps an audience alert and responsive; the adrenaline accompanying laughter helps fix information in your memory, except in the case where you're so busy laughing you don't hear the punch line. The benefits of laughter are too numerous to ignore, now is the time to consciously STOP, and start to make an effort to laugh. Here's a hint: and it should go without saying that at first, you'd best laugh with people and not at them (unless they are significantly smaller than you). Another hint is laughter starts with a smile; seldom does uproarious laughter emerge from a RAGING face. Don't wait until you are sick of yourself before beginning to practice Laughter, and you don't need to start with total immersion by signing up for Clown College 101. You can sneak up on laughter by renting comedy classics from the video store, borrowing humorous books from the library, attending comedy clubs, watching comics on TV, and practicing jokes on co-workers and total strangers. In the beginning, it is NOT recommended that you practice your sense of humor with family and friends because ... they never forgive and never forget! Ha ha.