Who Will Cry When You Die\?: Life Lessons From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari pdfdrive com

20.
Laugh More
According to one study, the average four-year-old laughs three hundred times a
day while the average adult laughs about fifteen times a day. With all the
obligations, stresses and activities that fill our days, we have forgotten how to
laugh. Daily laughter has been shown to elevate our moods, promote creativity
and give us more energy. Comedian Steve Martin reportedly laughs for five
minutes in front of the mirror every morning to get his creative juices flowing
and to start his day on a high note (try it—it works). Laughter therapy has even
been used to cure illnesses and heal those with serious ailments. As William
James, the father of modern psychology, observed, “We don’t laugh because we
are happy. We are happy because we laugh.”
A friend of mine, always known for his wise ways, made it his new year’s
resolution one year to laugh more. Every few weeks, he would go to his local
video store and rent a Three Stooges movie or buy a new book of humor, which
he would then dip into when he had a few free moments during the course of his
day. A positive person already, he began to notice that he felt even happier and
started to laugh even more than before he undertook this personal development
initiative. Because of all the humor he surrounded himself with and the new
awareness it created in his life, he also began to see the lighter side of things and
no longer experienced the level of stress he had felt in his professional pursuits.
This simple discipline raised him to a whole new level of living and
effectiveness.
Why not follow my friend’s lead and head down to your local video store to
stock up on the latest funny movies? Then pick up a few books, perhaps
something from Gary Larson’s Far Side series or the much-read Dilbert
cartoons, to stimulate your laughter habit. Reconnect to your playful side and
enjoy the wonders of a deep belly laugh.

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