Laugh A Little!

The picture to the right is a picture of my bestfriend and I at a Sushi restaurant, celebrating my 27th birthday with friends, laughing at something silly probably and obviously having a great time. At first, I was a little hesitant to post this pic for two reasons: 1-because of the shameless laughter I'm expressing (whatever we were laughing at must have been hilarious because my facial expression is rather...priceless) and 2-because  my best friend may possibly kill me once she sees this pic up...(I love you Cornbread! Lol!). But then I thought about how great I felt at that moment! How free I felt to indulge in that moment, letting myself go to laughter, literally! I think that laughter is a form of liberation. I mean think about it. You really have to be in a state of "mental freedom" to laugh. If you're all uptight, worrying about the cares of life (which absolutely won't change a thing) or sulking about a disappointment, your mind is too blocked up to laugh or experience any joy! Wouldn't you agree?


This post is simply to encourage you to laugh! Let go of yourself for a moment and think about all there is to be joyful about! One of my adopted fathers, whom I secretly call "Elder Joy" was blessed with the gift of "funny". I mean dude is hilarious! Without fail, he makes me laugh at times when I really just don't want to. (Sometimes, because I'm just that silly and sometimes because his gift is hard at work.) The other night I was a little heavy about something and right on schedule, here comes Elder Joy ready to share his gift. I think I've figured out his strategy. First, he comes and "reads my mail"....then he gives me wisdom through unsuspecting parables. Finally, he tops it all off with a big dose of laughter...and the best part is, it's all out of love! 


I always leave those moments feeling great about myself, about life, and really just free in general! So, I wholeheartedly believe that laughter has the ability to subside burdens and uproot heaviness. It genuinely makes you light and free and believe it or not, that's the state of mind you can be your greatest in. Your mind is free to create and bold enough to take action. You never know how far a little laughter can take a person's day from being the absolute worst to being the best....simply because you took the time to plant a little laughter in them. I encourage you to laugh today! Smile brightly and intently! Think about your greatest joy! and then share that joy and laughter with someone else. You never know, it could keep them going just a little bit longer! and it will liberate you to experience the vastness of God's freedom! Go ahead...Laugh a little!

Facts About Laughter

1. Laughing 100 times roughly equals 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Vigorous laughter increases the heart rate, deepens the breathing rate, and uses muscles in the face, stomach and diaphragm.

2. Aside from improving our moods, laughter can reduce stress, help fight infection, and reduce pain.

3. The levels of two stress hormones, cortisol and epinephrine which supress the body's immune system, will actually drop after a dose of laughter.

4. Laughter causes positive changes in brain chemistry by releasing endorphins, and it brings more oxygen into the body with the deeper inhalations.

5. Laughter releases anger, fear, guilt, anxiety and tension.

6. Laughter encourages concentration on "right"' attitudes rather than "wrong" attitudes.

7. Higher levels of an antibody (salivary immunoglobulin A) that fights infectious organisms entering the respiratory tract were found in the saliva of people who watched humorous videos or experienced good moods.

8. Researchers found after watching an hour-long video of slapstick comedy that the "natural killer cells", which seek out and destroy malignant cells, more actively attacked tumor cells in test tubes. And these effects lasted up to 12 hours.

9. The 1998 movie Patch Adams told the real-life story of a nonconformist doctor convinced that fun, play, and clowns are important in improving patients' quality of life in a grim hospital atmosphere.

10. Planning enjoyable activities for the future will reduce the stressor hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine.

**These facts were taken from www.DrStandley.com**

URL: http://www.drstandley.com/facts_laughing.shtml

Disclaimer: The above mentioned web site's goal is to provide you with information that may be useful in attaining optimal health. Nothing in it is meant as a prescription or as medical advice. You should check with your physician before implementing any changes in your exercise or lifestyle habits, especially if you have physical problems or are taking medications of any kind.

God Bless,

-Queen