It is one of the few autonomic responses our bodies have that quite literally change our chemical makeup and cause us to vibrate on a higher frequency without any assistance from our will or our egos. This, and perhaps sneezing (winking emoji ;-).
When something “tickles” your fancy, you cannot help but at least smile. A smile merely touches the edge of laughter, and a simple spontaneous smile raises our vibrational level, and gets our blood pumping a little faster. Even a manufactured smile has an impact. Try it right now. As you read the next sentence, just smile for no reason and notice how you feel. I use this trick when I answer the phone or write a message to someone (and when I write for this paper, too!) I smile before I begin stating what I want to say to gain access to my higher self. It is always my sincere goal that my happiness will be felt by the person on the receiving end of my message.
With that said, imagine how good a true belly laugh, complete with an involuntary snort or two, can be for us! A grasshopper walks into a bar. The bartender says, “We have a drink named after you!” The grasshopper replies, “Who names a drink Steve?” Anyone? Anyone? If you at least got a chuckle, you’re welcome. I just added some milliseconds to your life.
According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, laughter increases the intake of oxygen, which in turn, stimulates our heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the flow of endorphins to our brain. What’s more, a “belly laugh” decreases our heart rate and blood pressure, making stress a thing temporarily forgotten.
March is Women’s History month, so I thought a great way to honor the achievements of women, while keeping with this month’s theme, would be to share the wisdom of some of my favorite funny women.
“True love,” according to comedian and writer Mindy Kaling, is “singing karaoke ‘Under Pressure’ and letting the other person sing the Freddie Mercury part.”
On body image, Sarah Silverman reminds us that, “Mother Teresa didn’t walk around complaining about her thighs – she had sh** to do!” Or we might look at it like the hysterical Joan Rivers, who quipped, “I don’t exercise. If God had wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor.”
“The secret to staying young,” advised Lucille Ball, “is to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age.”
Sage advice from Ellen DeGeneres: “Follow your passion. Stay true to yourself. Never follow someone else’s path. Unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path. By all means, you should follow that.”
All these women (and so many more) have done more than help us view life light-heartedly. They’ve written books, produced movies and television shows, and raised children. Their good humor contributes to the well-being of all of us, and makes the world a better place.
Ironically, many comedians say that their stories come from trying to make sense out of pain. Topics include the spectrum of human experiences, from basic insecurity to any number of “isms.” Through their storytelling, comedians make us laugh, by shining a light on ugly truths and artfully finding the humor. Comedians model a healthy way to laugh at life, heal a bit from our own traumas, and help us take life a bit less seriously. A little dose of laughter goes a long way!
