Thoughts On Bulls And bullshit

"Bulls at least are not the greatest stylists in English. No bull has ever been a political exile. Bulls don't run reviews. Bulls of 25 don't marry old women of 55 and expect to be invited to dinner. Bulls do not get you cited as co-respondent in divorce trials. Bulls do not borrow money. Bulls do not expect you to marry them and make an honest woman of them. Bulls are edible after they have been killed. Fewer bulls are homosexual. To me bulls ain't exotic. They are normal. And such a goddam relief from all this horseshit about Art etc... To hell with delicate studies of the American scene. Fuck the American scene. Fuck manners, customs, all that horseshit. Let us have more and better fucking, fighting, and bulls."

Ernest Hemingway commenting in July 1925 about bulls

A secular State is best for religious and atheist citizens

Most atheists believe gods exist only as ideas in the minds of humans. Most atheists are open to new evidence that we might be mistaken.

Many people misunderstand the difference between atheism and secularism. Both are forces for good, but for different reasons. Atheism can mean actively believing gods do not exist, or passively not believing gods exist.

Most atheists believe gods exist only as ideas in the minds of humans. Most atheists are open to new evidence that we might be mistaken.

Secularism can mean philosophically focusing on the natural world, or politically separating Church and State. Many religious people support political secularism.

Indeed, Atheist Ireland has a working alliance with Evangelical Alliance Ireland and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Ireland to promote a secular education system.

Atheist Ireland believes that reason and science are more reliable ways of understanding reality than are faith and religion, and that morality is a natural process based on evolved attributes such as empathy, compassion, co-operation, reciprocity, fairness, justice and reason.

Respecting rights

But we respect the right of others to believe differently, as long as the State does not assist any group to impose their beliefs on others.

Today the Irish State funds Catholic schools that evangelise the children of atheists into Catholic beliefs, against their conscience.

It funds Church of Ireland schools that insist that Evangelical parents must prove their Church is genuine before their child can attend school.

It funds Sunni Islamic schools that discriminate against Ahmadi Muslims, who they claim are not real Muslims. And it funds all schools to discriminate against teachers based on religion.

We promote a secular education system, where State-funded schools will treat all children equally, without reference to the religious or non-religious beliefs of their parents.

Secular schools will not ignore religion: they will teach children about religions and beliefs in an objective, critical and pluralist manner, while respecting everybody’s human rights.

A force for good

Political secularism is a force for good in three ways. Firstly, secularism protects everybody’s freedom of conscience and religion and belief, by staying neutral between them.

Religious states promote religion. Atheist states promote atheism. Secular states promote neither.

Secondly, secularism allows religious people to focus on preparing for whatever next world they believe in, based on applying faith to their beliefs about divine revelations, and it allows the State to focus on governing this world, applying reason to the best available evidence.

Thirdly, secularism can combine with human rights standards as a foundation stone on which we can build a liberal democracy. This can in turn combat other threats from such ideologies as fascism and totalitarianism and communism and the unregulated free market.

Secularism also has many practical advantages. The happiest countries are secular liberal democracies, including Scandinavian countries and northern European states.

In general, secular countries have lower rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy, and abortion.

Less prejudiced

Studies published by social scientist Phil Zuckerman and others have shown that atheists and secularists are typically less nationalistic, less prejudiced, less racist, less dogmatic, less ethnocentric, less closed-minded and less authoritarian; and more politically tolerant and more supportive of gender equality, women’s rights and gay rights.

There is a pathway to secular rational values. The World Values Survey, conducted by social scientists, suggests that as individuals move from survival values to self-expression values, which is triggered by investments in health, education, communication technologies and democracy, societies move from traditional religious values to secular rational values.

Religious oaths

How do we achieve secularism in Ireland? We need to remove from the Constitution religious oaths for president, judges and taoiseach, and the crime of blasphemy.

We need a parliament that does not start each day with a prayer asking the Christian  Christian God to direct every word of our parliamentarians.

We need secular State schools that teach children freedom of thought, based on human rights, and without religious segregation or indoctrination.

We need secular State hospitals based on compassion, human rights and the medical needs of patients, and not on religious ethics.

International trends are clear. The developed world is relentlessly becoming more secular, with some fundamentalists fighting a rearguard action against it.

Ireland will follow that trend, and the sooner we attain a secular State, the better it will be for religious and atheist citizens alike.

Michael Nugent  (chair of Atheist Ireland)

11 scientifically-backed ways to chill out if you are stressed at work

Stress has become a part of our working life – at least for some of us.

 In fact, a report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and healthcare company Simplyhealth found that stress is the top reason for taking sick leave lasting four weeks or longer in the UK.

When your body detects stress, the hypothalamus – a small region in the base of the brain – reacts by stimulating the body to produce hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, triggering the release of glucose into the bloodstream as a temporary means to increase energy. But the process also puts a strain on your body.

We may not really have control over circumstances that get us stressed but there may be ways – backed by science – that could help undo its effects.

1 Chewing gum

Your teacher may have told you chewing gum goes against etiquette and your dentist may have warned you sugary versions are bad for your teeth.

But chomping on a piece of gum does have its benefits, according to a 2008 study.

It can relieve anxiety, improve alertness and reduce short-term stress during episodes of multitasking. Just make sure to stick to sugar-free ones.

2. Indulging in sweet treats

Feeling stressed? Maybe it’s time to reach for that scrummy doughnut you’ve been denying yourself all day.

Eating (or drinking) something that’s sweet leads to the production of a steroid hormone known as glucocorticoid that helps mediate stress response.

“Glucocorticoids are produced when psychological or physical stressors activate a part of the brain called the stress axis,” says Yvonne Ulrich-Lai, of the University of Cincinnati – which conducted the study.

“The sweets we are talking about are not the low-calorie, sugar-substitute variety. We actually found that sugar snacks, not artificially sweetened snacks, are better ‘self-medications’ for the two most common types of stress – psychological and physical.”

3. Listening to music

Are you in a situation where you feel the need to calm your mind? Maybe turning to your favourite playlist might help.

If you are fond of classical music then here’s some good news – studies suggest that it has a particularly soothing effect and can slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure and even decrease levels of stress hormones.

But even if you aren’t a fan of the classics, worry not, because listening to any music you love should help as it will release feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine into your brain.

4. Getting indoor plants

Indoor plants do more than make your desk look pretty and absorb carbon dioxide around you – they can actually help you calm down, if this study is anything to go by.

Researchers say that simply being around plants can induce your relaxation response.

According to a study published by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, potted plants in offices reduced fatigue, stress, dry throats, headaches, coughs and dry skin among workers.

5. Watching cat videos

The internet has been obsessed with cats and for good reason – they are cute and they make great video subjects. But there’s a scientific reason why you are so drawn to their videos.

A study by Indiana University found that watching four-legged furballs can actually boost energy levels and increase feelings of happiness.

Looks like all that time you spent on Instagram and YouTube looking at cats may not have gone to waste after all!

6. Smelling rose oil

You will have probably heard about the benefits of aromatherapy and how it helps you relax and release tension.

And scientific research appears to back the theory rose oil can be effective in reducing stress.

According to a 2009 study, “rose oil caused significant decreases of breathing rate, blood oxygen saturation and systolic blood pressure” amongst the subjects who took part in an experiment to determine the “relaxing effect” of rose oil on humans.

7. Planning your holiday

Remember the last time you booked your holiday and how much you were looking forward to getting away from it all?

The best enjoyment comes from the anticipation and, sometimes, the happiest part of your holiday can happen way before you ever step foot in your far-flung destination.

According to a 2010 study published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life, simply planning or anticipating your trip can make you happier than actually taking it.

8. Taking a deep breath

It might sound like a cliche, but taking deep abdominal breaths can actually help you feel more relaxed.

According to Harvard researcher Herbert Benson, deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange that can help slow the heartbeat and stabilise blood pressure and may even be able to change the expression of some genes (a process that determines what that cell can do – including triggering stress).

9. Doing desk yoga

Yoga, when combined with controlled deep breaths, can act as a stress reliever.

An UCLA study in 2012 found that volunteers taking part in yoga and meditation showed a decrease in the activity of inflammatory and antiviral proteins linked to stress within the blood stream.

Why not take the plunge and try a yoga class or get in touch with a practitioner for lessons in breathing and meditation?

10. Meeting friends after work

If you find yourself having a stressful afternoon, it might be worth making plans to see your close friends after work.

It appears being in the presence of your besties could actually reduce stress levels – at least according to a study of children.

 Research by Nebraska University found that having a best friend to talk to “significantly buffered the effect of the negativity of the experience on cortisol and global self-worth”.

11. Ditching caffeine

Neck deep in work? Taking a coffee break might sound like the perfect solution to help you work faster but a 2004 study by Bristol University found that caffeine might actually make things worse.

Researchers say volunteers (especially men) taking part in the study found themselves generally feeling more stressed and less confident about their ability to cope after over-indulging in caffeine.

Dr Lindsay St Claire, one of the researchers involved in the study, points out: “Our research findings suggest that the commonplace tea or coffee break might backfire in business situations, particularly where men are concerned. Far from reducing stress, it might actually make things worse.”

People they knew

“He was my brother; not by blood but by choice.”

Frank Sinatra talking about Dean Martin

“Richard and I had an incredible chemistry together. We couldn’t get enough of each other.” Elizabeth Taylor about Richard Burton

“Nothing affected me until Elvis.”

John Lennon on learning about Elvis

“Meeting Franklin Roosevelt was like opening your first bottle of champagne; knowing him was like drinking it.”
Winston Churchill on meeting Roosevelt

“ If the vault was on fire and I could grab only one set of master tapes, I would grab the Beatles.”
Stephen Jobs on the Beatles

“He was the best ballad singer I ever heard in my life.”
Bob Dylan on the Liam Clancy of the Clancy Brothers. 

“Irish signatures are on our founding documents. Irish blood was spilled on our battlefields. Irish sweat built our great cities. Our spirit is eternally refreshed by Irish story and Irish song; our public life by the humour and heart and dedication of servants with names like Kennedy and Regan, O’Neill and Moynihan. So you could say there’s always been a little green behind the red, white and blue on the American flag.”
President Barack O’ Bama on the Irish.

The conflict between theists and atheists has become a godawful bore

The conflict between theists and atheists has become a godawful bore

For large sections of the population, Christianity is of no more interest than astrology, flat-Earthism or water dousing. It is no longer even worth rejecting.

Shusaku Endo’s translators chose a good English-language title for the Japanese writer’s most famous novel. The protagonist of Silence, a 17th-century Jesuit missionary, is much concerned with God’s reluctance to communicate with man. The pestilence, earthquakes and famines were bad enough. But Fr Rodrigues seems more worried about being ignored.

The missionary’s successors often express similar feelings about contemporary nonbelievers. If you rage against the Christians, Muslims, Zoroastrians and snake handlers then you admit their consequence. A sincere expression of unconcern is, for them, more worrying. Better to be a threat than an irrelevance. Would it kill the atheists just to pick up the phone?

Such thoughts are kicked up by two recent pieces in The Irish Times. Gerry O" Hanlon SJ wrote a polite rejoinder to my unconvinced review of Martin Scorsese’s current adaptation of Silence. Fr O’Hanlon argues that I am blinded to “the dramatic human dilemma involved in an historical instance of the rights of conscience and the contested issue of religious belief in the public square”.

This seems a strange reading of the film (which I assume he has seen). Silence is set at a time when the Catholic Church, still at home to the Inquisition, had little tolerance for “rights of conscience” that in any way challenged its own doctrine.

Meaningless quandary

The dilemma at the heart of Scorsese’s picture, which sends Rodrigues to an unforgiving Japan, is more theological than sociological. Should a person denounce God if that denunciation saves innocent citizens from torture and death? Of course they should. The supposed quandary is meaningless to any responsible human not swayed by superstition.

Fr O’Hanlon seems more concerned about “religious belief in the public square”. He suggests that my attitude is characteristic of a “dialogue of the deaf” that continues between “secularists and religious believers in Ireland”. I can hear perfectly well. I’m just not interested.

Loose application of the word “secular” was also much in evidence throughout Father Brian McKevitt's less than friendly letter a day earlier. The editor of the hugely conservative Alive! newspaper is concerned that modern society is dominated by “aimless secularist view of human life and the ideology of choice”. Apparently, secularism is now “Ireland’s State religion”.

This is so absurd it is hardly worth rebutting. The cliche states correctly that atheism is a religion in the same way that baldness is a hair colour. But we are not even talking about atheism here. Secularists argue that religion should play no part in government institutions or in public life. Such people may well be atheists. Then again, they may prefer their religion to be untainted by political compromise.

“Secularism rejects all hope of happiness or salvation beyond the earthly,” Fr McKevitt argues. No, it doesn’t. Secularism rejects the notion that any religion should have control over schooling or should determine health policy. It rejects state acknowledgment of an established religion. Considerations of what goes on “beyond the earthly” are left to the citizen and his or her advisers. Secularism is neither a belief system nor a moral code. This is not a failing. We do not ask for moral lessons from dentistry or plate tectonics either.

Terminal lack of interest

The language used in such debates has shifted. The self-defeating evangelicalism of the so-called new atheists – Richard Dawkins and that mob – has made a straight fight between belief and disbelief exhausting. More significantly, religious apologists have begun to realise that the greater danger is now terminal lack of interest. Any intelligent proselytising vicar would have enjoyed squaring up to the late, militantly antitheist Christopher Hitchens.

His articulate anger could be read as a class of involuntary respect. It is more disheartening to be greeted with an uninterested shrug. As argued above, “secularism” is not quite the right word for their current enemy, but that very imprecision allows the religious apologist to allow in a larger body of dissenters. They are now not just addressing those who actively resist. They are addressing those who couldn’t care less.

Fr McKevitt argues that we should all approach “the church” with an open mind. Fr O’Hanlon generously invites me to join the move towards a “constructive synergy”. These are reasonable enough requests. But there remains a stubborn assumption that the Christian belief system is hard-wired into any conversation about the nature of existence. For large sections of the population, Christianity is of no more interest than astrology, flat-Earthism or the tenets of water dousing. It is no longer even worth rejecting.

Mind you, the faith has triggered much beautiful music, elegant poetry and the odd fine film. By all means, give Silence a go. But it does not bear comparison with Pier Paolo Pasolini’s sublime The Gospel According to Saint Matthew. Pasolini was a communist, you know.

Donald Clarke

Get laughing or die trying

Laughter is the Best Medicine

The Health Benefits of Humour and Laughter

Humour is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humour and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use

  

Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body

“Your sense of humour is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”

~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humour lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

Laughter is good for your health

▪                Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

▪                Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

▪                Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

▪                Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

The Benefits of Laughter
Physical Health Benefits: ▪    Boosts immunity ▪    Lowers stress hormones ▪    Decreases pain ▪    Relaxes your muscles ▪    Prevents heart disease	Mental Health Benefits: ▪    Adds joy and zest to life ▪    Eases anxiety and fear ▪    Relieves stress ▪    Improves mood ▪    Enhances resilience	Social Benefits: ▪    Strengthens relationships ▪    Attracts others to us ▪    Enhances teamwork ▪    Helps defuse conflict ▪    Promotes group bonding

Laughter and humour help you stay emotionally healthy

Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humour helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.

More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun.

The link between laughter and mental health

▪                Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.

▪                Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.

▪                Humour shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

The social benefits of humour and laughter

Humour and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering emotional connection. When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment.

Laughing with others is more powerful than laughing alone

Creating opportunities to laugh

▪                Watch a funny movie or TV show.

▪                Go to a comedy club.

▪                Read the funny pages.

▪                Seek out funny people.

▪                Share a good joke or a funny story.

▪                Check out your bookstore’s humour section.

▪                Host game night with friends.

▪                Play with a pet.

▪                Go to a “laughter yoga” class.

▪                Goof around with children.

▪                Do something silly.

▪                Make time for fun activities (e.g. bowling, miniature golfing, karaoke).

Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter and play also adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and effective way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times.

Incorporating more humour and play into your daily interactions can improve the quality of your love relationships— as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends. Using humour and laughter in relationships allows you to:

▪                Be more spontaneous. Humour gets you out of your head and away from your troubles.

▪                Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts.

▪                Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set aside.

▪                Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface.

Bringing more humour and laughter into your life

Want more laughter in your life? Get a pet…

Most of us have experienced the joy of playing with a furry friend, and pets are a rewarding way to bring more laughter and joy into your life. But did you know that having a pet is good for your mental and physical health?  Studies show that pets can protect you depression, stress, and even heart disease.

Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is innate and inborn. Infants begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you can learn to laugh at any stage of life.

Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humour and laughter, as you might with working out, and build from there. Eventually, you’ll want to incorporate humour and laughter into the fabric of your life, finding it naturally in everything you do.

Here are some ways to start:

▪                Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s contagious. Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.

▪                Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of considering the good things in your life will distance you from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humour and laughter. When you’re in a state of sadness, you have further to travel to get to humor and laughter.

▪                When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humour and laughter are private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not. More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What’s funny?”

▪                Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily–both at themselves and at life’s absurdities–and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.

▪                Bring humour into conversations. Ask people, “What’s the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In your life?”

Developing your sense of humour: Take yourself less seriously

One essential characteristic that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. We’ve all known the classic tight-jawed sourpuss who takes everything with deathly seriousness and never laughs at anything. No fun there!

Some events are clearly sad and not occasions for laughter. But most events in life don’t carry an overwhelming sense of either sadness or delight. They fall into the gray zone of ordinary life–giving you the choice to laugh or not.

Ways to help yourself see the lighter side of life:

▪                Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about times when you took yourself too seriously.

▪                Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them. Look for the humour in a bad situation, and uncover the irony and absurdity of life. This will help improve your mood and the mood of those around you.

▪                Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your family or friends having fun.

▪                Keep things in perspective. Many things in life are beyond your control—particularly the behavior of other people. While you might think taking the weight of the world on your shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy, and even egotistical.

▪                Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humour and laughter.

▪                Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

Checklist for lightening up

When you find yourself taken over by what seems to be a horrible problem, ask these questions:

▪                Is it really worth getting upset over?

▪                Is it worth upsetting others?

▪                Is it that important?

▪                Is it that bad?

▪                Is the situation irreparable?

▪                Is it really your problem?

Using humour and play to overcome challenges and enhance your life

The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable but also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative. People who incorporate humour and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships.

Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become playthings for your imagination. When you “become the problem” and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard to think outside the box and find new solutions. But when you play with the problem, you can often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning.

Playing with problems seems to come naturally to children. When they are confused or afraid, they make their problems into a game, giving them a sense of control and an opportunity to experiment with new solutions. Interacting with others in playful ways helps

Physical Health Benefits: ▪    Boosts immunity ▪    Lowers stress hormones ▪    Decreases pain ▪    Relaxes your muscles ▪    Prevents heart disease

Mental Health Benefits: ▪    Adds joy and zest to life ▪    Eases anxiety and fear ▪    Relieves stress ▪    Improves mood ▪    Enhances resilience

Social Benefits: ▪    Strengthens relationships ▪    Attracts others to us ▪    Enhances teamwork ▪    Helps defuse conflict ▪    Promotes group bonding

Laughter and humour help you stay emotionally healthy

Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humour helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.

More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun.

The link between laughter and mental health

▪                Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.

▪                Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.

▪                Humour shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

The social benefits of humour and laughter

Humour and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering emotional connection. When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment.

Laughing with others is more powerful than laughing alone

Creating opportunities to laugh

▪                Watch a funny movie or TV show.

Here are two examples of people who took everyday problems and turned them around through laughter and play:

Roy, a semi-retired businessman, was excited to finally have time to devote to golf, his favorite sport. But the more he played, the less he enjoyed himself. Although his game had improved dramatically, he got angry with himself over every mistake. Roy wisely realized that his golfing buddies affected his attitude, so he stopped playing with people who took the game too seriously. When he played with friends who focused more on having fun than on their scores, he was less critical of himself. Now golfing was as enjoyable as Roy hoped it would be. He scored better without working harder. And the brighter outlook he was getting from his companions and the game spread to other parts of his life, including his work.

Jane worked at home designing greeting cards, a job she used to love but now felt had become routine. Two little girls who loved to draw and paint lived next door. Eventually, Jane invited the girls in to play with all the art supplies she had. At first, she just watched, but in time she joined in. Laughing, coloring, and playing pretend with the little girls transformed Jane’s life. Not only did playing with them end her loneliness and mild boredom, it sparked her imagination and helped her artwork flourish. Best of all, it rekindled the playfulness and spark in Jane’s relationship with her husband.

As laughter, humour, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will flourish and new discoveries for playing with friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and loved ones will occur to you daily. Humour takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective. 

By Melinda Smith and Jeanne Segal