How often do you laugh at yourself? Once a month? Every day? How often do you share some joy with others and make them laugh? I really hope it’s at least once a day. Laughing at yourself is an essential part of life. I mean really, think about all the things you do that if you were to see someone else doing it, would you laugh at them? Too often we take life too seriously. We take our friends too seriously. And angry check out workers at Wal Mart too. I mean, that are times to be serious and topics that should be serious, but if we can’t find some way to look at life with some humor- even some of the bad times and the serious things- then life is just going to be kind of dim. We have to smile and we have to laugh. If not for ourselves, then for others. Laughter is, after all, contagious! And so is joy and happiness.
Happiness is a choice, depending on how you choose to look at life. Do you see life as endless course with obstacles, mountains, and valleys that are going to take lots of trying work? Or do you see it as an exciting adventure filled with opportunity? If someone tries to offend you, do you allow yourself to wallow in the anger they cause you, or do you choose to step back from the situation, try to see it from a different perspective, and then silently laugh the other person’s insults because you know who you really are? Being able to laugh at yourself is a sign of confidence and makes it easier for people around you to laugh at themselves too.
From my own experience, more than once I’ve tried to say something or do something in a light hearted manner with the result being that people take whatever is happening too seriously. Life is about joy. If we can’t find joy- or choose to be happy in a moment- in the little simple things in life then what about the big, and ubber-stressful times of our lives? Padre Pio once said, “I laugh at your suffering, as you, many times, laughed at mine… If you can, laugh at yourself with me, and pray that I too can laugh at myself with you.” There are moments where it is just better for us to laugh and choose happiness rather than allow ourselves to be consumed with stress, anxiety, anger, or deep sadness.
Here’s some facts about laughter from about.com:
• Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine(adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.
• Physical Release: Have you ever felt like you "have to laugh or I'll cry"? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release. (Which means that it can also help relieve physical pain.)
• Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart. (you can get the same benefits from laughing 100 times a day, as you can from 10 minutes of rowing.)
• Distraction: Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress and negative emotions in a more beneficial way than other mere distractions.
• Perspective: Studies show that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a 'threat' or a 'challenge'. Humor can give us a more lighthearted perspective and help us view events as 'challenges', thereby making them less threatening and more positive. (For more on changing your perspective, see this article on cognitive reframing.)
• Social Benefits of Laughter: Laughter connects us with others. Just as with smiling andkindness, most people find that laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!
Now, go look at yourself in the mirror, make some funny faces, try to pull off some epic dance moves that you’d never try in public, and laugh at yourself! :)
A cheerful heart is a good medicine. Proverbs 17:22
Love and warm wishes!
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