Innocently Speaking.com

The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter

-Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

Recent studies have been able to establish a correlation between laughter and happier fuller lives. A simple release of the emotions in the form of laughter can save you one or several visits to the doctor; and much more than that, it can ensure a more tolerable personality, which we all need since life is a collective journey.

                                                                           Image courtesy gigglypaws

Simply put, if you want to live long, among other things laugh more. It is easy to practice, costs nothing and is truly enjoyable. I know it is not quite so easy to be amused these days… food crises, unemployment, drugs, teenage pregnancies and all the troubles of the world.

But if you are not brave enough to put a bullet to your temple it means you are still interested in living, and as long as that remains the case you have no choice really but to make the most of what life has to offer.

So laugh.

Laugh at yourself. Laugh at the world. Laugh at situations.

Have you ever been in a tough trying situation where you have worried and flogged yourself so badly because it seemed like there was no way out of the fix you found yourself, and yet today you are still alive and kicking?

Why then do you let the problems of today make you feel like there will be no tomorrow? I am not saying anything to the effect of some magic formula that will guarantee happiness and a life of eternal bliss. If you are looking for that you are on the wrong planet.

But it is a fact that problems come and go. And the beauty of humanity is that we are always going to get on with life, adapting as necessary. Things happen sometimes and you consider it with the rational mind and conclude that the world is coming to an end for you, but in no time it passes and is again business-as-usual. Shouldn’t that tell you something?

Now consider the alternative to laughter, an ugly frowning disposition. Perhaps your life situation already places you in a position of severe ugliness. Wouldn’t you help yourself by at least colouring your face with a smile or two?

It beats me when I see people who for the sake of sanity should paste a permanent smile on their faces wear a frown expecting pity from the world. That is never going to happen. More often than not people are happy that you are not smiling so while you think you will be noticed for flaunting your ugliness, you will most possibly be making somebody, an enemy maybe, very happy.

Get it that your happiness is your personal responsibility and you will be doing yourself a mighty favour by sparing people the truth of your anguish with just a smile. No, a laugh.

It can do a lot for you. It can give you hope when there is none seemingly. It can fetch you love, friendship, trust because you will be more approachable. You probably frown because you don’t have a job or money or whatever. But the answer might just be a smile away.

Flight attendants, ushers, customer service staff do not do this perpetually for nothing. They know the drawing power of an easy countenance. You don’t have to be pleasant or good looking before they furnish you with the smile; it is what they have to do to bring out the best in you. And it is good for business.

Can you imagine boarding an aircraft with all the risk only to be welcomed by some wretched countenanced person? It will only heighten your anxiety. That pretty much goes for the rest of life.

It is a risky business going about rubbing shoulders on a daily basis with people you don’t know, a next minute you cannot predict. That is why a smiling stranger can easily evoke what is known as love at first sight.

So practise laughter and see the wonders at your disposal. I share this because it works for me. I wrote articles like Get Married Before You’re 25 and Oh Please Persevere because even the so called serious issues of life should not rob us of our mirth.

It really doesn’t matter if you don’t like my idea of getting a laugh. The important thing is that I felt really good writing these articles and those with any molecule of sense will still get the “serious” message I had in mind.

So create your own situation and enjoy a good laugh. It works.

See also FREE YOUR EMOTIONS.