LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

   My husband forwarded an email to me the other day. It showed pictures of conversations captured on new iphones with automatic spell correction. If you have an iphone you know exactly how annoying that feature is! I was already in a fairly cranky mood, but when I began to read the hysterical results of the spell corrections, laughter bubbled up inside me. I laughed so hard that tears ran down my cheeks and my side ached!  By the time I read the last message, I was a different person. I felt the heaviness of my soul fade and disappear. There was a smile on my face and a new lightness in my heart. The miracle of laughter had worked its magic on me!

   We all need to take the time to laugh again. Life has become too sad and too serious. If, in the midst of the hectic, frustrating, sometimes depressing moments of our lives, we could find a reason to laugh, then maybe our hearts could recall all the joys and happy times that fill us with positive energy. We all need that occasional cleansing of soul that laughter provides. It changes our attitudes, our energy level, and our very demeanor! It transforms the way we look at the world and react to the people around us. Tell the truth- what type of people do you enjoy being around the most? Isn’t it the people with a good sense of humor who love to laugh and can make you laugh along with them?

     

   Businesses spend hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to increase productivity and reduce absenteeism. Believe me, it isn’t the shade of green that is painted on the walls that make people happier at work. It’s a friendly, jovial atmosphere where people can work and laugh together. Picture the cranky salesgirl with a scowl on her face, about to wait on a customer. A coworker shows her a funny cartoon that causes her to laugh. Do you think she’ll still have that scowl and attitude as she approaches the customer?  Not very likely! It’s like the laughter is a key that unlocks our ability to feel good about things again.

     

   The best medicine that was ever prescribed for me was when a friend arranged for a group of us from work to go to see a Christian Comedian. The title of her show was “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and that’s exactly what we did! She had us doubling over with laughter and mirth. The feeling was beyond compare! The only thing that could have been more wonderful would have been if they served chocolate! (My second favorite medicine!) We grinned at each other, recalling her routines for weeks afterwards! Once again, the miracle of laughter! It has a way of bringing people together!

     

   We can’t attend comedian’s shows every day, or constantly tell jokes, but we do need to keep some humor in our lives. How? Gravitate towards people who make you smile. Develop a sense of humor so you can laugh at yourself instead of feeling embarrassed when you make mistakes. Embrace the ridiculous once in a while. As Mark Twain said:

“Humor is the great thing, the saving thing.  The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.”

Let laughter work its magic on you!