The Magic of Laughter.

by Bill Gracey

Today is Global Belly Laugh Day. At 1:24 p.m. on January 24th (1/24) you can stop and have a good deep belly laugh.  Laughing is good for you.  It lightens even the most solemn moods and can even help lower your blood pressure.

With today’s pressures, many of us find it hard to have the lighthearted spirit needed for a really deep belly laugh.  You know, the kind that has you gasping for air and clutching your stomach as you loud ha-ha-ha’s fill the room – or even the entire house.

Make the decision to find time for laughter.  That’s why silly holidays like these can be so important.  Today I was not feeling like laughing, especially at work.  But I saw this holiday listed on my calendar and checked out the web site. As I scrolled down and saw the video for “Can’t stop laughing” I stopped and watched it.

When the best man lost his pants at the wedding, I couldn’t help but giggle.  When the groom continued snickering, I began to laugh a little more, but when the groom, his bride and the crowd all started chuckling, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Of course I shared the video with my coworkers and we all started laughing.  One giggle led to another, and then another, and soon we were all having a great time.  This is the magic of laughter.

If you make time to visit funny web sites, read humorous emails, watch sitcoms, or any other activity that strikes your funny bone, you’ll feel better. It will invigorate your mind and body.  Suddenly you don’t feel quite so tired anymore.

One of my favorite activities is watching children.  It can be in the grocery store, at home, or even on TV.  Ever see a child in a shopping cart making faces at people as their mother shops? Or a 5 year old making clucking sounds to the delight of his baby sister?  Children are full of the enthusiasm that laughter brings.

Here are a few ideas:

• Read the funnies – newspapers comics are still a great source of laughter
• Play with a puppy
• Read a great bit of Giggle Poetry
• Smile at everyone you see
• People watch at your local mall – guaranteed to find you something funny
• Visit You Tube
• Have a Tickle Fight
• Have a Laughter Yoga session and “fake it until you make it”

Have a great Global Belly Laugh day, and discover the magic of laughter for yourself.

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Last Days of Summer Fun.

by Garry – www.visionandimagination.com

Summer Fun Ideas:

There’s a little less than a month of summer left.  Time to get out there and do all those fun summer activities that you’ve put off before the chance is gone.  Here are a few ideas:

Go All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Riding

Go White Water Rafting

Swim at the Bottom of a Waterfall

Bird Watch

Go Bungee Jumping

Go Caving to keep cool.

Go on a Sightseeing Plane Ride

Hot-air Balloon Ride

Watch Fireflies and Stargaze.

Learn to Juggle

Go Roller Skating

Ride a Roller Coaster

Rent a Convertible and Put the Top Down.

Have a Wheelbarrow Race

Relax – Get Some Hammock Time. Spend the entire day by yourself relaxing.  Unplug the phone, lay in the pool, read a book – whatever you want to do.

Have a Bonfire and Roast Marshmallows

Take Photos of Pets in funny hats, or glasses

Bounce on a Trampoline

Go Skydiving

Go Scuba Diving

Slip and Slide

Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest

Fishing – Whether it is deep sea, stream or fly – fish on!

Have a Water Fight with the Garden Hose, Water Balloons or Water Guns

Listen to Some Rock Music from a Totally Foreign Country

Have a Limbo Contest

Have a Paper Airplane Flying Contest

Watch a Movie at the Drive-In.

Cloud watch – is that a dolphin?

Go to the Park and Watch the Sunset.

Draw with Chalk on the Sidewalk

Have an Egg Toss

Run Through the Sprinklers

Get your Favorite Milkshake

Surfing / Wakeboarding / Water-skiing/Windsurfing

Bike off a Dock Right into the Lake

Climb a Tree

Go Rock Hunting – find fossils and crystals

Geocaching GPS – Using a GPS you can search for treasure boxes that are hidden all over the world. Lots of fun and a great way to discover nooks and crannies of where you live.

Camp in the backyard and sleep under the stars

Have a picnic at the beach

Paint your toenails bright colors

Play on the swings (visit the playground)

Have a root beer float, banana split or make an ice cream cone

Fix a pitcher of homemade lemonade

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Best Moments

Originally uploaded by usmanister_01

One of the benefits of a gratitude journal is that it helps you keep track of funny things, happy occasions and memories you want to keep. Here are some of the best moments from last week:
• Seeing a tiny baby bunny in the grass by the woods in the early morning.
• Watching fireflies glowing in the evening. It looks like my own personal 4th of July every night.
• Finishing some assignments that had been looming over me for the past month.
• Meditating for 20 minutes when I felt irritable and moody and feeling energized and calm after the meditation.
• Finding a used book I was looking for. Bonus – it was only $1.00.
• Finding a hilarious Hoops & Yoyo talking toy at the flea market. So fun to play with when you need a laugh.
• Having a coworker help me laugh my way into a better mood.
• Picked delicious red ripe raspberries for raspberry shortcake and vanilla ice cream.
• Having a good talk with my father for Fathers Day since he lives in another state.
• Wrote a fun birthday poem for a coworker. Had fun being a little creative.

Although there were lots of things that I didn’t get accomplished. (Like writing a blog article), and I didn’t complete my to-do list, I feel very good about this week. The key is to pay attention to the good things that happen. Writing a gratitude list helps you do that.
What were your best moments this week?

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Cute as a Cucumber!

Cute.Cumber by HaMeD!caL

Today see if you can relax as completely as this sweet little cucumber. Lie back, put up your feet and dream a little dream. If you can relax your body and mind this completely you know it’s been a good day.

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Happy Easter!

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Sick of Winter.

Sick and tired of snow yet?  Is this a case of winter blues?  Seems cabin fever really got to this guy.  Or maybe someone was just really, really, bored.  🙂

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Smile Everyday.

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

Start each day with a smile. Try to fit in as many as you can.  Just talking with friends or coworkers can spark a grin.  Discussing funny TV shows or commercials, venting frustrations about being overworked or counting idiots in traffic can be a great vehicle for fun and laughter.

Smiles are contagious too. Once you start smiling, others will start.  Try an experiment and see how many people you can get to smile in a meeting or conference room.  Share a funny experience about your child, a picture of your pet or some other tidbit and let the room lighten up before the information flows.  It will make for a more relaxed and productive time.

Smiles are good for you. When you smile, it changes how you feel.  It’s hard to stay angry when you’re smiling.  Don’t we all have fights that end like that?  You’re right in the middle of a big tirade about how unjust life is, how no one listens or cares about you, then suddenly your dog runs over wagging her tail and offers her tummy up for a rub and you totally lose track of what you were mad about.

Smiles promote positive connections. A true smile is recognized by most everyone.  When you smile with your heart it shows.  We all know that used-car salesman smile and that we should avoid it.  But a real honest-to-goodness feel-good smile can light up a room, or make someone’s day.  Getting the smile is almost as great as giving it.

Smiles are fun. Smiles accompanied by giggling are likely to make you instantly popular as people come to investigate the good news.  Ever drive down the road listening to a comedy tape?  Ever noticed the people in the other car smiling at your laughter, even though they have absolutely no idea what’s so funny?  That’s the power of a smile!

Smiles are free. One of the great bonuses of smiles is that they cost nothing.  In fact, giving smiles away enriches those that give them.  Smiles can bring relief, hope, perspective and relaxation.  Sometimes all at once!  Smiling is a great gift to give when times are tough – they’re a treasure that everyone longs for.

Smiling becomes easier the more you do it. This is really true!  When you find things to be happy about, even in the midst of turmoil, it brings peace and spreads love.  Smiles are a sign of joy and caring.  When you give someone a smile, most often it is returned to you.  Smiles often multiply, bringing more joy and laughter with it.

Smiles help heal. Anyone who is stressed out, in pain or suffering knows that a simple smile can start the road to recovery.  Smiles can ease tension, relive pain, and inspire a new outlook.  Whatever kind of day you are having, a smile can make it better.  Try it today and see.

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