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A Lesson On
How to Laugh
On a whim while, avoiding tackling the writing project I should have been
working on, and laughing at my the antics of my overweight cat Mya who kept
trying to get my attention so that I would put more food in her bowl even though
she'd just eaten, I typed in the Google search, "How to laugh?" I was curious
about the answers I would find mainly because that night my own unabashed
laughter had caught me off guard.
On wikiHow they had a step by step guide on how to laugh naturally on cue.
On ehow there was an article that taught you ten different ways to laugh. I even
learned that there was a World Laughter Day that's observed on the first Sunday
of May, initiated by Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga
movement.
Suddenly I embraced the hilarity of it all. Why is it that we needed
lessons on expressing the most natural emotion in the world, expressing our
jubilation, our joy? Probably because in the landscape of our busy and stress
filled lives we often forgot how to laugh. Our mind, our bodies and our spirits
were not dancing with the rhythm of full blown laughter. Laughter that was
large and loud and healing and
contagious. Poet and author, E.E Cummings is quoted as saying that "The most
wasted of all days is one without laughter." How true, our days are too precious
not to fill them with our laughter. Laughter is our redemption song. So today, I
would like to give a lesson on how to laugh.
First, learn to embrace joy. Even during these times of uncertainty, there
is joy encircling you. It is there, jumping up and down like a child in class
that knows all the right answers, saying "pick me". When you quiet your mind to
focus on finding joy and filter out frightening headlines, you'll have a
smorgasbord of blissful
things to partake of.
Too many times, especially us women carry the weight of the world on our
shoulders and stand at sorrow's door. We become like martyrs, wearing our pain
and discouragement like a badge of honor, refusing to let elation unfold. And
too often if it does, it is fleeting. It is dependent on other people's
responses to us, whether we are in love, financially secure, have perfect
children, or will be getting that promotion, etc. Our lives and relationships
will never be perfect no matter how much we try to rearrange and transform it.
That's what makes it so beautiful though, so unique, and so full of sage
lessons, for it pushes us if we can see past all the drama to a purpose filled
life. We begin to weave a fine tapestry in spite of the frayed threads when we
embrace joy in spite of our imperfect life. I am a testament to that.
My second and final step is that after you master embracing joy; embrace
the inner child in your core. Reflect on those times when you were a child and
your laughter was spontaneous, and silly and full fledged. I remembered how when
I was younger I giggled when I was walking arm in arm, leg over leg with my best
friend eating red licorice sticks. I remembered falling to the floor laughing
whenever there was a birthday party at my house and my father would try to
dance. Revisit those hilarious times from your childhood often. And if that
doesn't work make it a point of spending time with funny people who can launch
into great one liners and make you throw your head back, open your mouth wider
than you would for your dentist, and
bring you hilariously to your knees.
You will soon notice after following these two simple steps something that
you now know how to laugh. Your laughter will now be new and improved,
thunderous and rejuvenated. Finally, the world will see not only the fineness
of your tapestry but the jubilance that makes its fine threads glisten.
And oh by the way, after writing this I laughed my way to my kitchen and
gave my cat Mya a tad bit more food. The End
This article
won 7th place in the 2009 Positive Way Relationship and Development
Contest. Written by Jeanine D.
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