What a great saying that hangs on the walls of many homes and offices. We all know the importance of really “living”. Taking time to smell the roses, being authentic, being present in the moment is all part of living well. To learn to love deeply, unconditionally and purely is a wonderful place to dwell. BUT, today I want to write about the importance of LAUGHTER. I believe without the LAUGH part, the living and loving part cannot be done completely & fully. Who ever said laughter is the best medicine knew what they were talking about!
Do you know that in 2005, the researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center reported that laughter causes the dilation of the inner lining of blood vessels and increases blood flow? Laughter has also been shown to lead to a reduction in the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. When you laugh, the brain also releases endorphins that can relieve some physical pain and boosts the number of anti-body-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T-cells, which leads to a stronger immune system. These are all positive effects of a good old laughing, and let’s face it, we could all use a few laughs a day!
Last night I had the pleasure of going to see a fabulous comedian at our local Comedy Zone. Julie is a local Carolina girl with a southern twang, extremely tall (6’2”), drives a Harley and funny as hell! It must have been a great feeling for her to perform to a sold-out, home-town room after traveling around the country the last few months. I first saw Julie at a fund raiser run by and for my friends/neighbors. Well, she was funny then, but last night I got to see the whole act that was filter-free! As we would say in the north, “she is a PISSER!”
The great thing about comedians is that they make us see the humor in the truth; the truth about everyday kind of “stuff”. Whether it’s making fun at human relationships, or like George Carlin used to do, question why we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway. They take the mundane, state the obvious and give us a chance to ponder and see the humor in it. To sit back and belly laugh at the real, the stupid and the ridiculous. To make us think and take a light-hearted look at life through their eyes, is a moment of vacation for the soul. What a gift they have to share with us!
Would it be a challenge to look at something that would normally annoy the heck out of us and find the humor in it? If I make someone chuckle I always ask, “Did I make ya laugh?” When they answer yes, I respond with, “Then I have done my job for today!” For me, laughing is my coping mechanism. It is a great coping skill for many situations and immediately takes away those “bad feelings” and replaces it with happy endorphins. Life is full of “stuff” that we need to be serious about. But, illness, jobs, bills, taxes, government, idiosyncrasies and crappy drivers will all still be there after we are done laughing! Most importantly, besides laughing at others, remember to laugh at yourself. If you don’t I’m sure there is someone that will! So, for your own sake, lighten up and just keep laughin’! Besides, it will really piss off the haters!
Just Sayin’,
Christina
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