“Humor helps us to think out of the box. The average child laughs about 400 times per day, the average adult laughs only 15 times per day. What happened to the other 385 laughs?” – Anonymous
Ever get stuck talking to someone who is a drama queen or king? People who seem to have the weight of the world on their shoulders, nothing ever works out, and s—t always happens to them?
In discussing New Year’s goals, a friend recently told me that one of his goals for 2011 is to not be a drama magnet. I let him know that focusing on not having something is the same as having it. You will attract the very thing you want to avoid! Focus specifically on what you do want. E.g., don’t focus on losing weight. Focus on achieving your ideal weight. Don’t focus on not drinking. Focus on staying sober. There is a flip side to everything. And you always have a choice which side you want to play.
Tired of drama? Flip it! What is on the flip side of drama? Comedy! Watching a classic George Carlin set, or “I Love Lucy”, or a Jim Carrey movie, or a Chris Rock special never fails to put everything in perspective for me.
Something magical happens in our brains and bodies when we laugh: endorphins are released. Otherwise, anxiety and stress collect and toxify your whole mechanism. No, our problems do not completely disappear with laughter, but we certainly attain a healthy detachment from our issues and hence a fresher perspective on them.
So get out to a comedy club or rent a Robin Williams film to set your tone for the New Year. Life is filled with challenges; do you want to respond with seriousness or some levity?
Seriously, sometimes the answer is a joke.