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Monday, April 19, 2010

Practicing the 4th Agreement - Laughter is Really the Best Medicine


Today, I'll be continuing the series "The 10 Agreements for Living the Life you Truly Desire." I invite you to participate in the conversation as we explore the power of living a well lived life.

I came up with the "10 Agreements for Living the Life you Truly Desire" to help myself and other women identify those areas that would give us the direction we need to live our lives with fulfillment, purpose and joy.

Agreement #1: I agree to help others in their quest to live the life they truly desire. (Click here to recap)

Agreement #2: I agree to discover how to develop myself to the fullest extent. (Click here to recap)

Agreement #3: I agree to remember that there is no perfection, only process. (Click here to recap)

Agreement #4: I agree to take life serious enough to remember to laugh with the good times and some of the sad ones.

Over at Science Daily, noted researcher Melissa B. Wanzer, professor of communication studies at Canisius College has found that a humor-oriented work environment causes employees to report higher job satisfaction. Also, making fun of oneself is reported to be a very effective way to make connections with people if done appropriately.

I'm a firm believer that evoking laughter really is the best medicine. I use humor every day when I'm teaching my classes and even when I meet people. I find that humor tends to put people at ease. I've learned that keeping my sense of humor intact has helped me to make it through many challenging and difficult situations. Yes, our lives are serious, but the art of seeing the funny side apparently has heart healthy benefits. At the University of Maryland a research team recently reported that people who had heart disease and heart attacks tended to laugh less frequently even in positive situations and they had more anger and hostility. So be forewarned, laugh long and loud it might just save your life.

The main thing that can be said about laughter is it keeps us balanced and positive. It invites us to participate non-judgmentally inthe inevitable mishaps and foibles of life. We recognize and relate positively to our humanity through laughter. Laughing with the good times and through the sad times is a sure recipe for moving forward as you live the life you truly desire.

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