Have you ever asked yourself, “What tense situation can I remember and laugh about?”
How can humor help us and what can the lack of it do? These questions are great clues to the value of humor. When asking yourself, you HAVE to get an answer. You’ll find an answer in a memory of something that really lit your furnace. When you think about it now, not only does it not make you mad, it probably seems funny or at least neutral. We often let our emotions control us, thinking the worst without stopping first…
Worrying, for example, is a major disease today as, of course, it probably has been since the dawn of mankind. I say sickness not to give you one more excuse not to take responsibility for your own actions, but to highlight the misery it can cause. Wow, people love to worry, huh? We worry about things that haven’t happened yet, but “probably will”…and rarely do.
Let me make a point here. Being PREPARED for the worst is nothing to worry about. That is productive. Avoiding problems is valuable. Worrying is thinking about a negative outcome and not letting it go. lose sleep over it. Don’t have any humor about it or about anything else until whatever’s troubling you has happened.
In sports, who usually wins, the relaxed and carefree team, or the tight team worried about making mistakes? It has been estimated that ninety-nine percent of all the things most of us worry about never actually happen. And in those rare moments when what worries us happens, we say, “Look, I knew it!” Most of us live “problem-focused” lives and defend it as realistic. People with a developed sense of humor rarely worry about things they have no control over. It’s crazy to get upset about things you can’t affect, isn’t it? Come on, be honest!
Also, don’t you envy people who can tell the right joke at the right time? Those who can break the tension with the right words… almost at the right time? I don’t mean jokes in bad taste. I’m talking humorous, clean and witty. Don’t they make us feel good just being around them? Status boosters is what they are…
Having a great sense of humor makes you popular. It keeps your blood pressure lower. It helps you sell better. It can help you worry less and work better every minute of every day. It has also been shown to be able to heal the sick… Even when the sick have cancer and other serious illnesses.
The world is small. We’ve all heard those stories by now, right? Let’s build our own humor muscles… today. Now. On a piece of paper, write a big W (for “concern”) in the middle. Use the whole sheet. And in the place where you work or spend a lot of time, stick this sheet on the wall. That’s your trigger… When you’re in the middle of a big worry, no matter how seemingly unimportant it may be, look at your W and ask yourself, “What can I find to laugh about in this situation?” or, “What’s so funny about this?” or, “How can I look at this and remain light and optimistic?” That’s the beauty of questions. They are free. You can ask yourself any question you want. No tolls. Just ask the right ones and you’ll be miles ahead and on the right track. And guess what? You’ll feel better. And if you put that W on your wall and make this questioning a daily habit, it will become automatic and you will get all the benefits I just listed and many more. Dozens and dozens more. If you think putting a big W on your wall is youthful, what’s it to fret and worry about things that normally never happen?
point made? Good.
Black markers are good W’s, don’t you think?
WINNING BELIEFS:
— I have a great sense of humor
— I seek and find humor in all situations
— I release all tension and worry from my mind and body
— Tension and worry have left me now
— My sense of humor reassures others
EMPOWERING QUOTE:
“Good humor is a tonic for the mind and body. It is the best antidote to anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct path to serenity and contentment. “. -Grenville Kleiser
