Sometimes You Just Have To!

Laughter truly is the best medicine! A giggle is wonderful, but there's nothing like a really good belly laugh...the kind that has you doubling over and begging for the "funny business" to stop for just a minute so you can catch your breath and let your abdominal muscles rest. And have you noticed, when you're all done laughing, you feel SO different:

• Like a weight has been lifted. For just a brief moment the stress is gone. Muscles in your neck and back are relaxed. No tension headache. Breathing is easier. Maybe you can't quit smiling because the happiness has just exploded into every fiber of your being. You can't help but sit back and close your eyes and soak it all in like a deep breath of fresh mountain air.
• It's nearly impossible to feel angry or sad or disappointed when you've been laughing. I've had occasion when I've felt sadness because of a loss, and suddenly been reminded of a funny or pleasant memory and I can't help but smile and giggle or laugh (even though tears have been flooding my face) and the sadness just disappears. It's a welcome relief like that of no other.
• Relationships thrive on laughter. Some of my best moments are random belly busting bursts of laughter with my children. They're all grown up now, but we still get together and love sharing a good laugh. It connects us in ways that nothing else can; less conflict, more love, and memories we will hold on to forever.
• Laughter helps me adjust my focus and shift my perspective. It allows me to take a deep breath and look at things more realistically. It allows a reprieve when stress becomes unbearable, and helps me remember "this too shall be a memory". 

And there are health benefits as well: Lower blood pressure, release of cortisol and adrenaline (endorphins that promote an overall sense of well-being and act as natural painkillers), boot of T-cells in the immune system, protection of cardiac health by improving the function of blood vessels, and it's a good work out for your abdominal muscles, diaphragm, and respiratory system!

"If you wish to glimpse inside a human soul and get to know the man, don't bother analyzing his ways of being silent, of talking, o weeping, or seeing how much he is moved by noble ideas; you'll get better results if you just watch him laugh. If he laughs well, he's a good man...All I claim to know is that laughter is the most reliable gauge of human nature." - Feodor Dostoyevsky

Choose to embrace the laughter and feel the joy!

I'm all in! are you with me?