The Healing Power of Laughter and Choosing ‘Happy’!

By Karen @ KB Naturally

 
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“Happiness is not a state to arrive at,

but a manner of traveling.”

-Margaret Lee Runbeck

 

 

I believe there are two types of happiness… there are places, people, and experiences that elicit happiness…AND…I believe happiness is a state of mind you decide on and choose to live from. It’s easy to be happy while sitting at the beach, being with your favorite people, or zip-lining in the rain forest…but to choose happiness in an ordinary day with maybe no one around, or no activities planned, is a spiritual experience. It’s a decision to wake up and just be happy from your soul.

I know you must be thinking, ‘Wait, is she happy every day, all the time?’ While I do connect with myself spiritually on a daily basis, I am human. Shit happens. Life can be tough at times. I go through my rough patches like anyone else. I allow my emotions and honor their existence. But I try not to stay there too long. I reflect, I may talk it over with someone close to me, I give it its due time…and then…I talk myself out of reliving it over and over. It just keeps it around longer than is needed. Sometimes the ego mind wants to keep it going and wants to keep the drama alive. That’s when we have to notice and be stronger than the ego. Catch yourself and say…NO, I’m not thinking about that again…I’m finished reliving that! This goes along with my other blog post on Going on a Thought Diet. It puts us in the driver’s seat of our lives.

Sometimes when we are going through a rough patch, we need a little guidance on bringing a happy feeling to the forefront.  It can be challenging for sure. That’s when it’s good to ask yourself, ‘Where is my happy place?’ Where is the place that makes you smile from deep within and emanates outward? We all have at least one, but probably more. The place that when you’re not there, you can close your eyes and transport yourself back. That’s the great thing about our special places and our imagination…we can go whenever we want, which is a great place to start with when meditating. Just close your eyes, take some deep healing breaths, and go to the place that makes you feel good…the ocean, the mountain, a waterfall, a garden…you get to decide, it’s your special place. The point is to feel good and be happy.

 We can also think about a person or people in our lives that we feel good around and we feel supported and loved by. Then there are experiences that make us happy. Really ask yourself what makes you feel good and happy. Is it getting out in nature, seeing a new art exhibit, going to a bookstore, something adventurous? It’s different for each of us so only you can know what fits you. Then take the action step to go do it!

This leads me to the next level…

Laughter really is the best medicine!

I read an excerpt in Newsday by Melissa Healy from the Los Angeles Times about a study conducted which showed that laughter offers some of the same benefits of meditation.

‘Laughter, the real kind associated with genuine joy and mirth, sets off brain wave patterns quite similar to those generated when experienced meditators ply their mindfulness skills…’ The study showed that, ‘…unfettered laughter brought the brain waves most consistently into a mock-meditative state.’

We have all experienced pure laughter and know how good it feels. So, imagine the health benefits of meditating and also going to our happy place. Life can be all too serious sometimes…so…

·      watch a funny movie

·      go out with friends

·      think of some funny moments in your life

·      read a funny book

·      listen to your favorite comedian

·      go on some rides that make you laugh

When life gets heavy, that’s precisely when we need to lighten-up and have some fun. It’s imperative to your health!

Finally, I’m going to share a story I once heard which I often think about during certain times in my life:

(I’m not sure of its origin or who wrote it…but enjoy its simplistic beautiful message)

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, moved to a nursing home today.  Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. 

“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged, it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life.”

‘Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time…’

To my readers…

I wish you happiness in all the corners of your world!

I would love to hear where your happy place is and if anything in this post resonated with you.

Thank you for reading…now go have a good laugh!

Karen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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