What's So Funny?" Let the Healing Begin

There are times in life when laughter may be the farthest thing from your mind; however, my advice to anyone is that those are the most important times to use laughter. Some life situations that occur may be quite serious such as major health issues, finances, responsibilities at home or at work; the state of our economy or job loss and all these things can take their toll. These issues can become very stressful and may cause us to be worried about the future. Even regrets from issues in our past can become very paralyzing.

The fundamental truth to look at is all we have is today and we should make every moment of today count because if or when tomorrow comes, it will bring with it its own set of challenges and circumstances. Why get so worked up about situations we cannot control or change. Bob Newhart once said, “Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.”

Culturally, we’ve been programmed to feel that if we laugh at adverse situations that occur in our lives, we are minimizing them when in fact it is exactly the opposite. Robust, sustained laughter doesn’t minimize the magnitude of the situations but it actually allows our brain the opportunity to release endorphins, which produces a feeling of well being. Research has shown that endorphins are usually released during times of physical activity or various times of excitement and exhilaration. So laughter actually empowers us in a healthy way to handle our situations by momentarily relieving the stress and pain that we might be feeling, a very helpful coping mechanism if we chose to apply it. I realize we cannot forget about the serious issues that we might face during the course of our lives, but I do believe it is extremely important and healthy to take some time in our day to laugh and allow ourselves to experience that level of joy. We all deserve it. Remember, the good book says laughter is the best medicine. “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22. So don’t forget to get your dose.

I suggest that if you would like to look at a real life example of how laughter helped someone dealing with a potential life threatening illness, to take a look at the book titled “Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins.

Keith Godwin CASAC, Comic, Comedytogoinc.com, recoverycomic.com and Motivational Speaker

Smile a little it’s free and not only will it make you feel better but it will also affect those around you