The Practice Of Happiness Is The Best Workout ( an open letter to a friend) (Part 3)

All the usual cliches apply that laughter is the best medicine. It is the most physical manifestation of feeling and being happy. A high that is as good as sex, well, nearly, and it shows. When Norman Cousins, a man who seemed to have it all, was diagnosed with a form of cancer and told he had but months to live, he took that message lying down and set to work to be able to stand up again. He used every trick in the book of laughter to laugh his way back to health: funny videos, movies, and happy people. Only six months later his cancer was in remission and he was back even more happy than he was before. 

In a controlled experiment over many years, doctors took a sample of two types of people and circumstance and watched what happened. One type were in bad relationships, caring for someone that had a debilitating illness alone, and who had a curmudgeon personality. Single mothers and single middle aged men were in there too, along with other negative type personalities- so on and so forth. 

The other type of course were the opposite. Under the microscope doctors found the negative situation, and people associated with it, produced increased cancer cells, while the positive type person produced less or none at all with increased anti bodies to fight any that might manifest itself. That's the science. There is more....

Laughter produces endorphins, a natural high better than any pint of Guinness in a thatched pub with an open fire and Van Morrison playing in the background. Happy people make others happy and want to be around each other. The exact opposite is also true for Mr Sad and Mrs negative. You will have more friends and a better chance of getting the girl as well. All of this increases in a social setting than an isolated one, so get out and about whether you want the girl or not. 

When you are depressed, the body, as already said, shows it in how you look, walk and talk. But by simply walking with more confidence, shoulders back, smiling more and speaking strongly and clearly, the body reverses the message to the mind. A sort of trick that enables you to get back in the groove. Keep the negative body too long and it may well stay that way. There is more good news........

Barry Clifford

To be continued.........