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Posts from the ‘Laughter’ Category

Oct 15

From Behind a Cloud

“An awake heart is like a sky that pours light.”― Hafiz

“Laughter What is laughter? What is laughter?
It is God waking up! O it is God waking up!
It is the sun poking its sweet head out
From behind a cloud
You have been carrying too long,
Veiling your eyes and heart.
It is Light breaking ground for a great Structure
That is your Real body—called Truth.
It is happiness applauding itself and then taking flight
To embrace everyone and everything in this world.
Laughter is the polestar
Held in the sky by our Beloved,
Who eternally says,
“Yes, dear ones, come this way,
Come this way toward Me and Love!”
― Hafez, I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy

The power of a smile, laughter, delight
In the midst of all the messiness, struggle, worry
To let light in
To dance with joy
Sing with laughter
To put it all down
To stop doing, figuring, calculating, mapping, hacking, striving
Allowing, inviting, open door
Cross the threshold
To being over doing.

“Now that your worry has proved such an unlucrative business,
Why not find a better job?”― Hafez, The Poetry Pharmacy Returns

Feb 13

kaleidoscope of new possibilities

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” – Victor Hugo

“At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.” – Jean Houston

Yield
Look up and around
Pause
Breathe deep and exhale
Put it down, all of it
The world, the worry, the doing
Lighten up
Laughter, delight, fun
From shovel to ladder
Kaleidoscope of new possibilities
Release some endorphins today, repeat daily
Fuel for the soul
Oil for the spirit
Food for the journey

“The first rule of holes: When you’re in one stop digging.”― Molly Ivins

Sep 14

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Laughter Prescription

“Humor is a spontaneous, wonderful bit of an outburst that just comes. It’s unbridled, its unplanned, it’s full of surprises.”― Erma Bombeck

Each day, I look for different quotes to try to tie a post together. Today, I found a variety from Erma Bombeck. With each new quote, I started laughing. It was a vivid reminder of the desperate need that we all have that we don’t tend to often enough in this serious business of life – laughing. There are also studies that people with dogs laugh more frequently which is probably why Abby and Sasha are frequent guests here too.

Laughter releases endorphins, improves immunity, reduces stress and increases your heart rate. So a written prescription below and remember to take it daily. Smile, laugh, find joy right in the midst of whatever is going on right now. The problems, people and circumstances will still be there when you return to “reality” but you will see them in a new light. Watch out, gratitude and optimism may follow as well. 🙂

“When humor goes, there goes civilization.”― Erma Bombeck

“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.”― Erma Bombeck

“Written on her tombstone: “I told you I was sick.”― Erma Bombeck

“Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone?”― Erma Bombeck

“Sometimes I can’t figure designers out. It’s as if they flunked human anatomy.”― Erma Bombeck

“If you can’t make it better, you can laugh at it.”― Erma Bombeck

May you fill this prescription several times each day.

Jun 18

To Take and Give Delight

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” – Khalil Gibran

“For everything that lives is holy, life delights in life.” – William Blake

Take delight in this day.
Feel the earth beneath you.
Lighten up.
Have fun.
Life is not a job.
It’s a call, a vocation, a gift.
Participate fully in the present.
Someday is today.
In taking delight, we give it away too.
May joy take you be the hand to the playground of wonder.
Holy ground.

“Laughter is carbonated holiness.” – Anne Lamott

Mar 29

No More 3:00 am Purchases

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

“Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” – Mark Twain

It should be required that Amazon is closed between midnight and 6:00 am.
The past month of restless nights, I’ve made the mistake of going online at 3:00 am.
Most purchases made sense.
And all could have waited to sunlight to purchase as well.
The arrival of the poop bag carrier with the LED flashlight marked the end of my 3:00 am purchases.
Although I did consider the smallest and most powerful vacuum.
Then I promptly put my IPad down to go back to being awake without shopping.

It all provided a good laugh and lightness.
Lesson beyond this and for all.
Turn off media and get rest, allow silence and quiet in to think for yourself.
Trust your instinct and intuition.
Read, write, play, wander, get into nature, savor.

Live life while you are in it, see it.
Find the joy of it, daily.
Broaden your view, do your own investigating, think for yourself.
Stop watching Fox News or CNN.
The world is not that narrow, scary or evil.
They are making money off fear.
This is not journalism. It’s a business built on instilling fear, hatred, and othering.
It’s irresponsible.

Get off autopilot and question what you are hearing and seeing.
It is a beautiful, big world, filled with wonderful people trying to live their life as best as they can.
Lecture done.
No more 3 am purchases.
No more fear.

“Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Nov 14

Carbonated Holiness

“Laughter is carbonated holiness” – Anne Lamott

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)

Yesterday, I picked up a 22-pound turkey for Thanksgiving. When I drove off from the store, the car was beeping. Looking around to see if the doors were shut properly and then at the dash for the indicator light, the passenger side seatbelt light was blinking. I started laughing as I buckled in the bird to stop the beeping.

As we enter this holiday season, remind yourself often to lighten up. Remember what it was like last year when no one could come together during the height of the pandemic. Lay down your politics, opinions and angst that we are still in pandemic living long enough to be grateful, awake and generous. Listen to enter conversation, not lecture. Our similarities unite us. Our differences create the tapestry of color, richness and texture.

Joy, hope, peace, light. May you receive and give all of these daily.

“As long as we feel safely held in the hearts and minds of the people who love us, we will climb mountains and cross deserts and stay up all night to finish projects.”― Bessel A. van der Kolk

Feb 27

Laugh, Every Day

“From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.” – Dr. Seuss

“Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.” – Clive James

Find humor and knit laughter into each day to lighten up. A simple shape of snow on a tree, a walk in nature, soaking in the sun as winter turns to spring. Pay attention to little things, to what’s right in front of you in this moment. Notice, dance, dare to delight.

If you can find humor daily, even in winter, joy finds you, transforming ordinary days into extraordinary ones filled with light.

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

Jan 4

Yeah! It’s Monday!

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” – Khalil Gibran

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Einstein

We fall into patterns and mindsets that don’t serve us well. Sundays before Mondays are heavy as we contemplate the “to do” list for the week. Fridays we sigh with relief that we made it through four grueling days. We find joy in three days and forego the other four.

Enough. Take each and every day back! Be as excited on Monday as you are on Friday by changing your expectations, trying new things and not falling for false narratives.

Each day is a gift ready to be seen and opened. Pay attention and tune out the noise. Be willing to accept joy in ordinary moments and create memories on a weekday rather than on vacation and long weekends.

As we come off a few weeks of holidays and respite from the grind, commit and build time into each day for self-care, delight and celebration of ordinary moments. Life is meant for the grand not the grind. Dare to be light and carefree, even and especially on a Monday. Repeat on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Get into the grind of joy!

A few hours with Jeanne and the girls proved to be, yet again, good medicine for the soul.

Yeah!!! It’s Monday. May we each have the wisdom to say this daily prayer, “God, I am blessed and I know it in my bones. Thank you and Amen!”

“Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.” – Wayne Dyer

Feb 21

Spilled Milk or Coffee in this Case

Driving into work yesterday, I prepared my mind by listening to a Joyce Meyer podcast on being prisoner of hope and the energy of optimism. I stopped by my regular coffee spot to fill up my coffee mug with some delicious hazelnut vanilla dark roast. Armed with a positive mindset, intent on seizing the day, I bounced in like Tigger to be a bright light.

Twelve minutes later, the day took a detour into a technology “pothole” that needed to be dealt with right away, moving me off my tasks that I intended to conquer as I was seizing the day, being a prisoner of hope. I gathered a few staff into my office for a phone call to resolve it. As we discussed our options, I sat back in my chair and took a big gulp of my cup of deliciousness to fuel my problem-solving super-powers.

The cover was not screwed on all of the way and coffee proceeded to pour down my chin onto my sweater and pants, well beyond the help of a Shout stain remover pad to fix. It was fun to have an audience too. I whispered, “son of a b___” and continued on with the discussion. With one meeting after another, I didn’t have time to go home to change so I spent the morning with a bucket of coffee on me.

“O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.” – Saint Augustine

I went home at lunch to change and on the way back the necklace that I had on broke and fell in my lap. My assessment of the day was that the Holy Spirit was on my ass, challenging me to rise above circumstances and be anchored in light and optimism. The old saying is “don’t cry over spilled milk” or in this case, spilled coffee. While not perfect, I did try to make light of it and not have it ruin my day.

We get to choose each day whether spilled coffee or series of technology mishaps or imperfect people will defeat us. Despite our circumstances, we can actually be a prisoner of hope, filled with optimism that is borne within us, untouched by external distractions, disruptions and detours.

And the final lesson, make sure the cap is screwed on both your coffee mug and your head. See the humor in each day and lighten up. It’s only spilled milk.

Today, I am going into work with a helmet on.

Dec 18

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Serenity Now!

“Your days are short here; this is the last of your springs. And now in the serenity and quiet of this lovely place, touch the depths of truth, feel the hem of Heaven. You will go away with old, good friends. And don’t forget when you leave why you came.” Adlai Stevenson I

Serenity Now is one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes when Frank Costanza gets a relaxation exercise tape to practice saying “serenity now” to calm down. It starts out with a soft chant and quickly becomes a loud frustrated yell. My favorite gift this year so far is the serenity now button from my hair stylist Christine.

We do need serenity now and it’s in our reach.

Slow down;
Rest and recharge daily;
Stop spiraling thoughts and negativity;
Let go of the past, all of it but the lessons;
Release resentment, it’s only hurting you;
Stop comparing and complaining;
Help others;
Anticipate and plan for good days;
Believe beyond current understanding;
Lighten up and pursue your lost sense of humor;
Foster gratitude;

I haven’t been practicing what I preach above the past few weeks but intend to recommit to real serenity now.

This time of the year is difficult for many people with loss of loved ones, fractured relationships and frustration with life not going as planned. In parallel and along side loss, we can and must choose hope, joy and delight to hold our hand on this winding journey. You have permission to both laugh and cry. You are not alone and are very human.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

The wisdom to know the difference indeed.

Let joy in and cast light. Serenity now!

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