How often do you laugh?
A sense of humor is good for you mentally and emotionally. Lacking a sense of humor and being super serious all the time is a gift blocker, and one I personally struggle with. I can be overly responsible and take on tasks with emotion lacking devotion. I will automaton and get her done without enjoying the tasks and/or people. I finally learned the vitality of not being so serious and laughing often. I now stop and make room for play and fun in my life daily. Studies also show a good sense of humor is sexually attractive, perhaps because it reveals intelligence, creativity, and other ‘good genes’ or ‘good parent’ traits. Research shows that humor is an evolutionary enigma: people across cultures enjoy it with smiling, laughing, and mirth, and socially value those who produce it (Apte, 1985). Humor and laughter just makes you feel so incredible, and awesome that it's worth examining it's place and level of it in your life.
APPLICATION: Get Some Humor
1. Learn what amuses you! Having fun is a powerful antidote to stress and it's a free one that costs you nothing while paying you richly. Sadly, few can clearly state what makes them happy and brings them joy. We must change that and clearly identify happiness and joy in our lives. Noted MD and Neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf states many studies prove Proverbs 17:22 is true. Laughter is "the best medicine." Studies show laughter releases a flood of feel-good chemicals that boost the immune system, reducing levels of stress hormones. She says a really good belly laugh can make cortisol (a harmful stress hormone) drop by 39%, adrenaline by 70% and it increases the "feel good hormone" endorphin by as much as 87%! Learn what works well for your body, soul and mind to quit being so serious and learn to laugh a lot and often--I learned to let loose and be my goofy, silly, nerd self...I like to swing on a play ground swing (proud I still fit), play games, dance to music, watch comedy and listen to comedy shows. All of these things work for me because I'm a horrid joke teller (I laugh too hard at the impending punch line goofy me lol) so I don't even try to (family and friends are grateful:).
2. It's OK to be witty, even silly. Add play and humor/laughter as an item to your daily to do list. Look for the absurdity in your own circumstances. Humorists say the tragedy + time = comedy. My Mother demonstrated this so well as she faced impending death due to lung cancer. She kept a sense of humor that brought comfort...her laser beam wit was so appreciated by all who couldn't bear to see her suffer. I think often of the things she said that caused raucous laughter with doctors and family alike. Laughter is a demonstration of your superiority over unfavorable circumstances. Nothing can get you down...unless you let it. God created us to live balanced lives and not one person has it all good and not one person has it all bad.
Beloved, I am praying with and for you.
Resources To Help:
1. http://drleaf.com/blog/toxic-seriousness-as-a-gift-blocker-have-some-fun/
2. http://lifehacker.com/how-to-develop-your-sense-of-humor-1690680308
Please feel free to forward CEENOTES with Cheryl Lanier to friends and colleagues, but please forward in its entirety. CEENOTES with Cheryl Lanier is written and distributed by Arete1 International. No portion of this publication may be copied or reproduced without the expressed written consent of Cheryl L. Lanier. Copyright 2016 Cheryl Carr and ARETE1 International. 2016 rightwordsbycheryl©
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