Laugh out loud.

The chief goal for the month of May has been “Laugh out loud.” A typical young child laughs more than 400 times a day, a typical adult—fifteen times. Before I started making an effort to laugh more, I wonder how often I hit even fifteen.

Too often I was drifting around, feeling either distracted or aggrieved—neither state conducive to laughter. Doing more laughing has made a difference in my happiness, and it’s easy to understand why.

First, under the rule that we should act as we want to feel, I feel much happier when I’m laughing out loud.

Second, one of life’s most exquisite pleasures is to make people laugh, and so by laughing, it’s obvious that I’m making other people feel great, which in turn makes me feel good. It’s heartbreaking, in fact, to see the Big Girl and the Little Girl each gaze into my face to watch me laugh with them. Even the Big Man seems more pleased with himself.

Third, studies show that laughter is healthy—it lowers blood pressure and cortisol levels, boosts immunity, and may even help you lose weight.

But it’s not easy to do a lot of laughing out loud. “It is easy to be heavy; hard to be light,” wrote G. K. Chesterton.

On an airplane, they warn you to put on your own oxygen mask first, before trying to help those around you. I’ve realized I need to pay a lot of attention to my oxygen mask.

I’ve been taking much greater care to dress appropriately. I’m always, always cold, and I’ve gotten better at bringing a sweater, wearing a warmer coat than most people, putting on a hat even if no one else seems to need one. I made a major discovery this winter: wearing a body suit under a dress. (An excellent example of the rule to identify the problem. I hadn’t really thought about how I might be able to dress more warmly.)

I’m better about making sure I don’t get too hungry. I seem to need to eat far more often than most adults, and I certainly can’t wait until 8:00 pm for dinner.

I follow the wise admonition of the Duke of Wellington: “Always make water when you can.”

I don’t know why it has taken me so long to catch on, but over-the-counter medication is amazingly effective. These days, if I have a headache, I take something for it!

I try not to lose my temper. Nothing makes me crabbier than my own bad behavior. That’s another reason why laughing out loud is such a good thing to try to do. It’s hard to feel or act crabby when I’m laughing.
*
Reading this over, I sound so self-congratulatory. I shouldn't. Being light-hearted is a big struggle for me, every day. Nagging, snapping, complaining, ignoring...these come easily. It's easy to be heavy--hard to be light.

Comments

[drprocter]

Another brilliant post! Good job. I think this is what the Buddhists mean when they say, "Chop wood, carry water." Do what needs doing, and you might as well enjoy doing it, because that's all there is.

A writer named William Alexander said, "When you're taking out the garbage, just take out the garbage. If we could learn that simple lesson, I think all the rest of it would just take care of itself, don't you?"

To which I might add, "Laugh while you're doing it, because it makes you and everyone around you feel better."

[Donna Marie]

This brings to mind something I came across years ago, something Norman Cousins talked about. It is the notion that it takes fewer facial muscles to smile or laugh, than it takes to frown or grimace. Which begs the question, so what? Well, the suggestion was this is a naturally anti-aging. The fact that laughing makes us feel better inside (which is decidedly healthier for us) coupled with the possibility that it minimizes signs of aging ... I'd say laughing out loud is a no-brainer. If that word got around and we practiced laughing more, can you imagine the impact on the billion dollar beauty enhancement, hope in a bottle business?

[CADENZA EP2000W]

Strand Lighting CADENZA EP2000W, Cadenza EP, For Patt 252 or Cadenza EP, 2kW Cadenza EP Projector, Cadenza EP + Effektlaufwerk, Cadenza EP Effects, Cadenza EP Adjustable Mask, CADENZA 2000w, Cadenza EP 3 Lens, Projector EP Strand 2000w, 2500w Effects Projector, Effects Projection, Strand Cadenza 2000W effects projector, Cadenza 12/22 2000W zoom profile, Cadenza EP VSFX 90, Strand Cadenza EP Wolkenprojektor 2, CCT Starlette projector, VSFX Drive Unit, Cadenza EP Divertor Mirror, Cadenza EP 2.5" Lens, OPTICAL PROJECTOR AND EFFECTS, Starlette 2500/2000W optical effects, Cadenza 9/15 (Strand Lighting), Cadenza 19/32 2000W zoom profile, VSFX Effects Drive Unit, Starlette 2500/2000W Optical Effects Projector, 2000w Optical Effects Projector, Strand Cadenza EP 2000w Effects, Cadenza EP 2000W, Starlette Effects Projector, Cadenza - EP - Studio / Stage, VSFX Effects Disk, Cadenza 9/15, Starlette 2kW Pebble, Cadenza-EP-Effects-Projector, Cadenza-EP-VSFX-Combo, Cadenza EP 2K, Cadenza 12/22, Starlette 2kW Fresnel, Toccata EP 2K, Optical Projector and Effects, Starlette 2kW Fresnel & Pebble, Starlette 2kW Reflector, Cadenza 19/32, Fleecy Cloud Effects Disc, Rain FX, Profile / Zoomspot, TOCCATA EP, Effects Projection & Animation Discs, Optical Projector and Effects, Storm Cloud Effects Disc, Flame FX, CADENZA 2000w 19/32 PROFILE COMPLETE, VSFX-FLEECY, Strand Patt 252 2000W effects projector (requires lens and disc), Optical Projector and Effects, Thunder Cloud Effects Disc, Fleecy Cloud FX, CADENZA 2000w 12/22 PROFILE COMPLETE, VSFX-STORM, Strand Cadenza 2000W effects projector (requires lens and disc), Starlette 2500/2000W Optical Effects Projector, Rain Effects Disc, Storm Cloud FX, CADENZA 2000w FRESNEL FIXTURE COMPLETE, VSFX-SNOW, Short throw lens for effects projector (6.5cm), Effects Case and VSFX Driver, Snow Effects Disc, Psychodelic FX, CADENZA 2000w PC FIXTURE COMPLETE, VSFX-RAIN, Medium throw lens for effects projector (8cm), Fleecy Cloud Effects Disc Only, Running Water Effects Disc with Breakup, Snow FX, Projector 252 Strand 2000w, VSFX-FIRE, Long throw lens for effects projector (10cm), Stormy Cloud Effects Disc Only, Smoke Effects Disc with Breakup, Running Water FX, Projector EP Strand 2000w, MASK PLATE, Extra long throw lens for effects projector (15cm), Thunder Cloud Effects Disc Only, Flame Effects Disc with Breakup, Sea Wave FX, 2.5 LENS, Effects Projector adjustable mask plate, Smoke Effects Disc Only, 6.5cm Objective Lens, Underwater FX, 3 LENS, Variable angle beam divertor for Effects Projector, Rain Effects Disc Only, 10cm Objective Lens, Dissolving Colour FX, 4-LENS, Effects Projector slide carrier for 3 1/4" (83mm) square glass slides, Snow Effects Disc Only, 15cm Objective Lens, 2kW Patt 252 Projector, 2K TUBULAR RIPPLE, Rainbow slide for Effects Projector, Flame Effects Disc Only, Adjustable Mask, 2kW Cadenza EP Projector, 2500w Effects Projector Selects Lens and Disc, Fleecy cloud effects disc for Effects Projector, Running Water Effects Disc Only, Aniмation Disc, 2.5 Lens for FX, Variable speed motor & Fleecy Cloud Disc, Storm cloud effects disc for Effects Projector, 6.5cm Objective Lens, 3 Lens for FX, Variable speed motor Storm Cloud Disc, Rain effect disc for Effects Projector, 10cm Objective Lens, 4 Lens for FX, Variable speed motor & Falling Snow Disc, Flame effect disc for Effects Projector, 15cm Objective Lens, 6 Lens for FX, Variable speed motor Falling Rain Disc, Snow effect disc for Effects Projector, Adjustable Mask, Adjustable Mask for FX, Variable speed motor & Rising Flames Disc, Up down sea wave effect disc for Effects Projector, Diverter Mirror, 2kW Tubular Ripple FX, RIPPLE2K, ADJMASK, 5LENS, RAINFX, FLAME, FLEECY, STORM, PSYCHO, SNOW FX, WATER, SEAWAVE, Adjustable Shutter Plate For Cadenza EP, UNDWATER, DISCOL, PATT252, CADENZAEP, 2.5LENS, 3LENS, 4LENS, Wide angle Lens (Throw details available), Chromosphere effect disc for Effects Projector, Strand Effect Disc, Medium angle Lens (Throw details available), Dissolving colour effect disc for Effects Projector, Whitelight VSFX Unit, Narrow angle Lens (Throw details available), Cadenza 12/22 2000W zoom profile - variable angle from 12 to 22, 2000w Rippling Water Effect, EFFECTS PROJECTION, Cadenza 19/32 2000W zoom profile - variable angle from 19 to 32, Strand Alto fresnel 2000W - variable beam angle from 7 to 62, STRAND LIGHTING cadenza ep2000w, Cadenza ep, PATT 252 OR CADENZA ep, 2Kw CADENZA ep projector.

WWW.cadenza-ep.narod.ru

www.cadenza-ep.narod.ru/index.htm

http://cadenza-ep.narod.ru/

http://cadenza-ep.narod.ru/index.htm

cadenza-ep@ya.ru

cadenza-ep@yandex.ru

cadenza-ep@narod.ru