Laughter

 

     Today it might seem a bit difficult to find a reason to laugh.  With all the many atrocities that are prevalent a person might wonder “What is there to laugh about?”  And that would be a very logical question to consider.  The things that we see and hear around us are not laughing matters.  And by no means would I try to insinuate that we should simply “laugh them off” as if they did not exist or perhaps were not of any value.  But there is good reason why we should consider trying to put some laughter in our lives and seek efforts to focus on the more positive and uplifting moments in our lives.

     There is an old adage that says: “Laughter is the best medicine.”  Believe it or not there is much truth to that statement.  According to https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm laughter draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body.  It adds: “With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.  Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.”

     You need to review the entire article referenced above for its contents, but just consider a brief listing of how laughter is good for your health:

            Laughter relaxes the whole body.

            Laughter boosts the immune system.

            Laughter triggers the release of endorphins.

            Laughter protects the heart.

            Laughter burns calories.

            Laughter lightens anger’s heavy load.

            Laughter may even help you to live longer.

     With the high cost of medications today, why would someone not want to use this simple, affordable remedy to aid in their health and well-being?

     Although you may not fully understand the reasons behind it, you may wonder “Why do people laugh?”

     Believe it or not, according to Scientific America (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-we-laugh/ ), “humans start laughing as early as 3 months into life, even before we can speak.  This is true even for babies who are deaf or blind.” 

     It doesn’t matter what nationality, your cultural background, ethnicity, or any other factors, ALL people laugh.  It’s true, we may laugh at different things.  We may find one form of humor more enjoyable than another, but we all laugh!

     “Laughter clearly serves a social function.  It is a way for us to signal to another person that we wish to connect with them.  In fact, in a study of thousands of examples of laughter, the speakers in a conversation were found to be 46 percent more likely to laugh than the listeners.”

     So you might ask yourself: “What makes me laugh?”  That is a very open and personal question because different things are funny to different people.  And you might find things funnier if you are in a group instead of by yourself.  You might also tend to laugh differently if you are sharing the moment with a close friend or acquaintance instead of with total strangers.  Laughter itself turns out to be a “funny” thing!

     There are people who make a career as their lifetime passion to make people laugh.  They are called comedians.  Some do this by their speech only, while others are comedic actors.  You may recognize some of the following names:  Jerry Seinfeld, George Carlin, Kevin Hart, Sarah Silverman, Robin Williams, Amy Schumer, Bob Newhart, Don Rickles, Rodney Dangerfield, Jim Carrey, Joan Rivers, Redd Foxx, Adam Sandler, Johnny Carson, Maria Bamford, Tina Fey, Wanda Sykes, Jerry Lewis, Tiffany Haddish, Carol Burnett, Kevin James, Red Skelton, Tim Conway, and the list could go on and on.  You may see some of your favorite comedians within this list or there may be others that you find to be “funny.”  Whatever the case, you know what makes YOU laugh.  Or there are some “jokes”, situations, or circumstances that may become as Larry the Cable Guy might say: “That’s funny I don’t care who you are!”

     With many situations around us being very tense and bringing great pressures upon us every day, you might recall the saying: “Don’t take yourself so seriously!”  But what does that really mean?  The first meaning could simply be understood as “Don’t be so hard on yourself that you wind up thinking that you are the only person who could ever do such a stupid thing.”  Believe it, others have probably done the same (or worse) on occasions. 

     There could also be the meaning: “Lighten up, and learn how to put things into their proper perspective.”  Which really tells you that as terribly agonizing or embarrassing the situation may be at the moment, you’ll live through it!  And you will probably go on to do even more embarrassing things in the future.

     Try to find situations where you can simply laugh about the matter and move on to more important things in your life.  When it comes down to the simple truth, we are very funny creatures.  At times it almost seems that we stumble through our lives and despite the predicaments we put ourselves into, we manage to continue to move forward.  Yes, at times, we are a very pitiful bunch, but then again, we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Laughter makes even a

miserable life better!"