Laughter is our Best Medicine

When we get uptight and on edge, our bodies get unhealthy and lack of energy and sleep become a problem.

One of the greatest natural stress relievers is quite simply laughter.  It’s the best medicine as it makes us feel better by releasing the pressures of life and restoring our sense of fun and adventure.

Do you remember the last time you had a good hearty laugh?  Many people who are stressed just need to restore balance by developing a sense of humor and looking for opportunities to laugh.

You may not be naturally joyful but you can train yourself to laugh as often as possible.  I find it easy to laugh when I’m with naturally happy people because they laugh and enjoy themselves everywhere they go.  I love talking to my cousin Dennis because he has this amazing deep chuckle when he laughs and it always gets me laughing with him.

Just watching and listening to my grandchildren play helps lift my mood.  When they are playing and are so free with their fun you just can’t help but laugh with them.  Just because we are no longer children doesn’t mean we are supposed to be solemn and never have any fun.  Every healthy adult should keep some of that childlike joy in their lives.

One of the traits of healthy people in their nineties is that they are good-humored and enjoy everyday life. When you laugh and play it brings healing and joy into your life.  Remember, laughter is our best medicine.

Happiness Is Being Connected

No matter what life deals you, there is always going to be a little “hole” if you don’t include spirituality.  We need connections– with people, animals, nature and life.

Research shows that the happiest people are the ones who are doing something to make the world a better place.  It doesn’t seem to matter if it’s a big something or a small something as long as we are doing something that makes us feel good.

When we do nothing we feel like victims of outside forces but when we do something we are taking control of our lives.

Suffering and joy are connected and though we will inevitably experience both I believe our true destination is the right to be happy.  We owe the world to be healthy and happy so that we can give back to others.

You don’t know if you’ll like something until you try it, so don’t quit before you start because of fear of the unknown.  This isn’t about what anyone else thinks you “should” be.  It’s about you finding out who you are.

Whether you’re are a believer or not, there is no denying the power of our minds, the power of prayer and the power that comes from connecting with others.

I’m not asking you to abandon your beliefs, but you need to be able to question them and open yourself to prayer, faith and connecting to what goes on in the world around us.

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

Albert Schweizer (1875-1965),  German-French Missionary Surgeon

We Need Positive People In Our Lives

I enjoy encouraging people to seek out the positive in life by listening to others with the intent to find good about what they are saying or doing.

If you tune into the positive, you will get clues about what they are doing and can respond with a positive phrase like “You can do it”   -    “Thank you”   or   “That’s a great idea”.

A positive frame of mind changes how you think and enables you to lift up others.  When you begin to seek the positive you will begin to feel better about life.

All of this self-esteem comes from simply developing the habit of looking for the good in others.  When that happens, you begin to see the good in yourself.  Before you know it people will recognize the good in you and praise you for it.

The point is a positive message – a simple sentence can change a person’s life.

So the questions are:

• What kind of sentences are you speaking?
• What are you hearing from the people in your life – positive or negative talk?
• Are you creating an encouraging atmosphere for others?
• Are the people in your life dragging you down or lifting you up?

I know that life is beyond hard and that deep grief can get a hold of us to the point that no joy or light can come into our lives.  But positive words contain a hidden power that, when released, can change us.

Our decision to live with positive thinking and positive actions will not only help us to grieve and heal, it will lift up the people in our lives and inspire them to do more.

We need to shift our attitude towards positive thinking because negative self talk holds us down and prevents us from being all that we can be.

So this Easter I give you Philippians 4:7-9 (NIV):

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely; whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”