The Laughter Lounge is based on my popular book "Light Up With Laughter". ( A book designed to help people live lives rooted in love, laughter and joy. Subscribe to my FREE Lifeline Newsletter at www.mikemoorespeaks.com
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
How to Use Humour to Solve Workplace Problems
People involved in interpersonal conflict in both business and industry are often too close to the problems to be of any great help in solving them. They feel insecure, uncomfortable and threatened when it comes to expressing their feelings and offering possible solutions. "What will the boss think if I rock the boat?" How will I be able to work with these people if I appear to be criticizing them?" "Will they think I'm a trouble maker?" "How can I hurt peoples' feelings?" The predictable answers to these questions will ensure that things remain the same. Nothing will change. Nobody wants to step outside their comfort zone and disturb the status quo no matter how much the status quo needs to be challenged. So stress continues to increase and morale continues to decline.
I have found cartoon humour helpful in solving relational problems in the workplace. They present real conflict situations and place them within a humorous context. By taking a cartoon and using it as the basis for discussion you accomplish a few things: You remove any personal connection between the problem and your personnel. They are discussing a cartoon situation not a situation related to them. The characters are not real and therefore you avoid hurt feelings or damaged egos. Analysing a cartoon results in a more lively discussion than if you were analysing an existing, identified problem. Workers are separated from the problem and therefore are less threatened and more willing to offer suggestions and solutions.
The humour in a cartoon is empathic humour. People laugh with the characters in the cartoon because they empathize with them and their plight. Call it the "been there, had it done to me" syndrome. When I use cartoons in my presentations I always hear people in my audience say, "Isn't that the truth?" When I hear this I know that something has connected with them.
A wise leader will ask questions about the cartoon which will not only address the conflict generally, but will open the possibility of a similar problem existing in their specific workplace. Such as, "Could such a problem ever occur here?" "If it ever did occur here, how would we handle it?" At some point the direct link between the cartoon and an existing problem will have to be made. Even when this is done the cartoon can still be used as a non-threatening way to discuss the situation without making direct references to people who are causing the dis-ease.
This is an excerpt from Mike's popular Special Report" Thank God It's Monday." ( Humour in the Workplace) For more FREE ideas on the use of humor to solve people problems visit http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?humorplace
To get Mike to speak to your organization visit http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?motplus
I have found cartoon humour helpful in solving relational problems in the workplace. They present real conflict situations and place them within a humorous context. By taking a cartoon and using it as the basis for discussion you accomplish a few things: You remove any personal connection between the problem and your personnel. They are discussing a cartoon situation not a situation related to them. The characters are not real and therefore you avoid hurt feelings or damaged egos. Analysing a cartoon results in a more lively discussion than if you were analysing an existing, identified problem. Workers are separated from the problem and therefore are less threatened and more willing to offer suggestions and solutions.
The humour in a cartoon is empathic humour. People laugh with the characters in the cartoon because they empathize with them and their plight. Call it the "been there, had it done to me" syndrome. When I use cartoons in my presentations I always hear people in my audience say, "Isn't that the truth?" When I hear this I know that something has connected with them.
A wise leader will ask questions about the cartoon which will not only address the conflict generally, but will open the possibility of a similar problem existing in their specific workplace. Such as, "Could such a problem ever occur here?" "If it ever did occur here, how would we handle it?" At some point the direct link between the cartoon and an existing problem will have to be made. Even when this is done the cartoon can still be used as a non-threatening way to discuss the situation without making direct references to people who are causing the dis-ease.
This is an excerpt from Mike's popular Special Report" Thank God It's Monday." ( Humour in the Workplace) For more FREE ideas on the use of humor to solve people problems visit http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?humorplace
To get Mike to speak to your organization visit http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?motplus
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
Two Boys and A Man ( A true Story of Friendship and Connection)
There is an old dog-eared photo of a little boy on my night table beside our bed. His name was Paul and he touched my life so deeply that I will never forget him. In fact we named our youngest son after him.
Let me tell you the story.
It was in the early 1970s. I was teaching grade 8 in a small school in the west end of Toronto. In my class I had a student named Tony. He was tall for his age and was a handful to say the least. But he was very likeable and I enjoyed having him in my class.
I was approached by our principal one day and asked if I would take Tony out of French class for a while and shoot hoops with him in the gym. He didn't like French and was giving the teacher a hard time. The principal was hoping that our time together in the gym would help Tony change his attitude and behaviour. I agreed and we started meeting every day for 30 minutes just before lunch.
During one of our hoop shooting sessions we received devastating news. One of our grade two students had been diagnosed with bone cancer in his leg and had to have it amputated. Thus began a journey of connection and friendship that would bond us forever.
After many weeks of therapy to get him used to walking with his new leg Paul returned to school. The principal met with the staff and told us that the prognosis wasn't that great but his parents wanted him to be in a normal and familiar environment for as long as possible. We were asked to be sensitive to his condition and presence in the school. Paul was told that if he got tired of sitting in class he could go for a short walk in the halls. We would keep an eye out for him. On more than one occasion he came into my class just to watch and listen for a little while.
Tony and I returned to our hoop shooting sessions and the school returned to normal. He was making good progress and a connection was being made. We enjoyed our time together.
One morning we saw the gym door open about 4 inches and a pair of brown eyes peeked through watching our every move. We both knew who it was but wanted him to enter when he was ready. We didn't want to rush him. The next day the door opened wider and his face was fully visible. We smiled and went on shooting. It was on the third day that he entered the gym and stood watching with his back against the wall.
It didn't take long for Tony to pass the ball to Paul with a smile and a nod to join in the play. The connection of two boys and a man had been made. From then on the three of us met at the same time, same place five days a week to shoot hoops, laugh and enjoy one another. When Paul found it difficult to make the ball reach the rim Tony would hoist him to his shoulders to make it easier.
Our time together continued until one day Paul couldn't come to school any longer. His cancer had progressed. When this happened we went to his home to visit and play cards with him for money. While no money ever changed hands we did keep a running tally and Paul was far ahead of me in winnings. In fact I received a thank you note from his Mom a few months later and attached to it was a hand printed bill for $600.
One morning the inevitable happened. Our little buddy had passed and our entire school community was crushed by feelings of pain, grief and loss. I went back to class to be with the students and we prayed and shed tears together.
When I got home that night I told my wife that Paul had died and then headed to our bedroom where I wept like a baby for a long time. He was so young, so full of energy and mischief. He was my little friend, my buddy and now he was gone.
Paul's Mom and Dad wanted a private funeral for family only so we didn't get a chance to be there for them in person but they were certainly in our prayerful thoughts.
A few weeks after his death I received a letter from his Mom containing a small coloured photo of a smiling Paul. He had such a refreshing, impish smile. I was so pleased to receive that photo and for over 40 years it has been on my night table. Every night when I retire I pass his image and remember. The fact that he would now be in his 50s doesn't enter my mind. To me he will always be my little Paul.
As for Tony, I haven't seen him since I left Toronto in 1973. I think of him often and wonder where and how he is. I hope the years have been kind to him and that he is happy. I am confident that the three of us will meet again and perhaps shoot a few heavenly hoops. Until then I live in hope with beautiful memories that will never fade.
Mike Moore is a former teacher who now speaks throughout North America on humour, attitude in human relations. If your group would like to look into the possibility of having Mike speak at your next conference visit http://www.mikemoorespeaks.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore
Let me tell you the story.
It was in the early 1970s. I was teaching grade 8 in a small school in the west end of Toronto. In my class I had a student named Tony. He was tall for his age and was a handful to say the least. But he was very likeable and I enjoyed having him in my class.
I was approached by our principal one day and asked if I would take Tony out of French class for a while and shoot hoops with him in the gym. He didn't like French and was giving the teacher a hard time. The principal was hoping that our time together in the gym would help Tony change his attitude and behaviour. I agreed and we started meeting every day for 30 minutes just before lunch.
During one of our hoop shooting sessions we received devastating news. One of our grade two students had been diagnosed with bone cancer in his leg and had to have it amputated. Thus began a journey of connection and friendship that would bond us forever.
After many weeks of therapy to get him used to walking with his new leg Paul returned to school. The principal met with the staff and told us that the prognosis wasn't that great but his parents wanted him to be in a normal and familiar environment for as long as possible. We were asked to be sensitive to his condition and presence in the school. Paul was told that if he got tired of sitting in class he could go for a short walk in the halls. We would keep an eye out for him. On more than one occasion he came into my class just to watch and listen for a little while.
Tony and I returned to our hoop shooting sessions and the school returned to normal. He was making good progress and a connection was being made. We enjoyed our time together.
One morning we saw the gym door open about 4 inches and a pair of brown eyes peeked through watching our every move. We both knew who it was but wanted him to enter when he was ready. We didn't want to rush him. The next day the door opened wider and his face was fully visible. We smiled and went on shooting. It was on the third day that he entered the gym and stood watching with his back against the wall.
It didn't take long for Tony to pass the ball to Paul with a smile and a nod to join in the play. The connection of two boys and a man had been made. From then on the three of us met at the same time, same place five days a week to shoot hoops, laugh and enjoy one another. When Paul found it difficult to make the ball reach the rim Tony would hoist him to his shoulders to make it easier.
Our time together continued until one day Paul couldn't come to school any longer. His cancer had progressed. When this happened we went to his home to visit and play cards with him for money. While no money ever changed hands we did keep a running tally and Paul was far ahead of me in winnings. In fact I received a thank you note from his Mom a few months later and attached to it was a hand printed bill for $600.
One morning the inevitable happened. Our little buddy had passed and our entire school community was crushed by feelings of pain, grief and loss. I went back to class to be with the students and we prayed and shed tears together.
When I got home that night I told my wife that Paul had died and then headed to our bedroom where I wept like a baby for a long time. He was so young, so full of energy and mischief. He was my little friend, my buddy and now he was gone.
Paul's Mom and Dad wanted a private funeral for family only so we didn't get a chance to be there for them in person but they were certainly in our prayerful thoughts.
A few weeks after his death I received a letter from his Mom containing a small coloured photo of a smiling Paul. He had such a refreshing, impish smile. I was so pleased to receive that photo and for over 40 years it has been on my night table. Every night when I retire I pass his image and remember. The fact that he would now be in his 50s doesn't enter my mind. To me he will always be my little Paul.
As for Tony, I haven't seen him since I left Toronto in 1973. I think of him often and wonder where and how he is. I hope the years have been kind to him and that he is happy. I am confident that the three of us will meet again and perhaps shoot a few heavenly hoops. Until then I live in hope with beautiful memories that will never fade.
Mike Moore is a former teacher who now speaks throughout North America on humour, attitude in human relations. If your group would like to look into the possibility of having Mike speak at your next conference visit http://www.mikemoorespeaks.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Why We MUST Put Fun Back Into Our Lives
Why do we have such a strong urge to be in the company of others? Even the most reclusive among us can only tolerate solitude for so long. I think part of the answer is found in the fact that we love to have fun, and having fun usually involves people. Laughter is a huge part of social interaction. When people gather to have fun they laugh a lot.
We don't stay too long in any social situation if it's dull, boring or humourless. Fun happens when people gather to tell stories, eat, drink, sing and laugh. No matter the size, composition or location of the social group, humour and laughter are vital to its success and continuity. The fact is that we don't want to continue socializing if it isn't fun to do so.
From a young age children have a strong sense of fun. When they come in from play we ask them, "Did you have fun?" We know the answer before they open their mouths just by the gleam in their eyes. If you ever ask them how they know they are having fun I am sure their response would include references to laughter.
It seems that we are designed to have fun and laugh, but something happens as we grow older that diminishes our desire to do so. I'm certain that stress, worry, anxiety and the burdens of adult responsibility play a part in this diminished desire. Whatever the reasons, adults do not laugh as much as they once did and their health and well-being have suffered as a result. It is important that we learn to laugh again.
Motivational theory suggests that we are motivated most effectively by the satisfaction of these needs: love, acceptance, appreciation, approval, belonging and importance. I personally believe that we can easily add pleasure, laughter and fun to this list of important needs. We not only want to have fun. We need to have fun.
It is my belief that humour does a great deal to help satisfy these needs and foster human well-being.
* LOVE: We love those who can make us laugh and we love being in their company.
* ACCEPTANCE, APPROVAL, and APPRECIATION: When we bring humour and laughter to the lives of others we receive from them the gifts of acceptance, approval and appreciation in return. Try telling a funny story, listen to the laughter it evokes and see how you feel after.
* BELONGING: Where there's laughter, there's fun and where there's fun there is a sense of belonging and oneness. We want to belong to any group that is fun to be with.
* IMPORTANCE: When we can make people laugh by telling a funny story we feel important in their lives. Their laughter is affirming and when we feel affirmed we feel important.
I am convinced, of the fact that humour, laughter and fun really do make great things happen. Give them a try. You have nothing to lose but the blues.
If it feels good to laugh then laugh to feel good.
We don't stay too long in any social situation if it's dull, boring or humourless. Fun happens when people gather to tell stories, eat, drink, sing and laugh. No matter the size, composition or location of the social group, humour and laughter are vital to its success and continuity. The fact is that we don't want to continue socializing if it isn't fun to do so.
From a young age children have a strong sense of fun. When they come in from play we ask them, "Did you have fun?" We know the answer before they open their mouths just by the gleam in their eyes. If you ever ask them how they know they are having fun I am sure their response would include references to laughter.
It seems that we are designed to have fun and laugh, but something happens as we grow older that diminishes our desire to do so. I'm certain that stress, worry, anxiety and the burdens of adult responsibility play a part in this diminished desire. Whatever the reasons, adults do not laugh as much as they once did and their health and well-being have suffered as a result. It is important that we learn to laugh again.
Motivational theory suggests that we are motivated most effectively by the satisfaction of these needs: love, acceptance, appreciation, approval, belonging and importance. I personally believe that we can easily add pleasure, laughter and fun to this list of important needs. We not only want to have fun. We need to have fun.
It is my belief that humour does a great deal to help satisfy these needs and foster human well-being.
* LOVE: We love those who can make us laugh and we love being in their company.
* ACCEPTANCE, APPROVAL, and APPRECIATION: When we bring humour and laughter to the lives of others we receive from them the gifts of acceptance, approval and appreciation in return. Try telling a funny story, listen to the laughter it evokes and see how you feel after.
* BELONGING: Where there's laughter, there's fun and where there's fun there is a sense of belonging and oneness. We want to belong to any group that is fun to be with.
* IMPORTANCE: When we can make people laugh by telling a funny story we feel important in their lives. Their laughter is affirming and when we feel affirmed we feel important.
I am convinced, of the fact that humour, laughter and fun really do make great things happen. Give them a try. You have nothing to lose but the blues.
If it feels good to laugh then laugh to feel good.
This article is a small taste of what awaits you in Mike's popular book, "Light Up With Laughter"( The Humour and Health Connection) To make the rest of your life the best of your life get your copy now. http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?light
Mike Moore is a Canadian pro speaker on the importance of Humour, Laughter and Fun in human health and relationships. It is his belief that laughter and fun form a universal language that entertains, heals and unites people throughout the planet. We all laugh in the same language. http://www.mikemoorespeaks.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore
Thursday, March 12, 2015
New Cartoon: Ladies Washroom
This was inspired by watching my wife throughout our many years of marriage.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Monday, March 09, 2015
Friday, March 06, 2015
The Funny Side Of Life: How Garlic Nearly Ruined My Marriage
In the world of herbal medicine garlic rules. It is said to lower blood pressure, promote healing, and subdue inflammation. Everyone is encouraged to consume more garlic either raw, cooked, or in the form of capsules. Garlic, it seems, can work wonders within the human body. It can even repel insects when sprayed on or grown among infected plants. Now that's magic.
It's garlic's power to repel that intrigues me. I recall being told by an experienced outdoorsman that if I ate garlic before going out into the bush the insects wouldn't bother me. I resisted the temptation to ask if it worked on bears in the same way. I like garlic and do want to reap its many health benefits but I can't get past the fact that this wonder herb stinks. Now I know you are probably saying that its smell is subject to the disposition of the smeller. Some cultures love the smell of garlic, but ours doesn't. Besides, when even aphids are repelled by the smell of garlic doesn't that tell you something?
I first started taking garlic in the form of capsules in the early 1980s, having heard of its many benefits and wanting to ensure that I reaped as many of them as possible as I entered mid-life. Taking capsules would surely eliminate any possibility of me smelling like Garth Garlic. The aroma would be non existent if the capsule were swallowed whole. Wouldn't it?
Everything went well for the first couple of days. My wife had no idea that I was on garlic until one night we were both reading in bed. Suddenly I felt the urge to express myself gastrically, and did so silently without fanfare. As the distinct smell of garlic filled the bedroom my wife stopped reading, sniffed discerningly and uttered in a loud, rather disgusted tone, " My god, Mike, you're on garlic. "
You would think that she would support my efforts to maintain and promote optimum health. Wouldn't she also benefit from having a healthy husband live a long, healthy, if not completely odour free life? The word gratitude never passed her lips. Shortly after this episode I discovered odourless garlic capsules and my health and our marriage were saved. Garlic rules!
You've got to laugh!
This is an excerpt from Mike's hilarious book, " Light Up With Laughter" ( The Humour and Health Connection) A book you've got to get to make the rest of your life the best of your life. http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?light
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore
It's garlic's power to repel that intrigues me. I recall being told by an experienced outdoorsman that if I ate garlic before going out into the bush the insects wouldn't bother me. I resisted the temptation to ask if it worked on bears in the same way. I like garlic and do want to reap its many health benefits but I can't get past the fact that this wonder herb stinks. Now I know you are probably saying that its smell is subject to the disposition of the smeller. Some cultures love the smell of garlic, but ours doesn't. Besides, when even aphids are repelled by the smell of garlic doesn't that tell you something?
I first started taking garlic in the form of capsules in the early 1980s, having heard of its many benefits and wanting to ensure that I reaped as many of them as possible as I entered mid-life. Taking capsules would surely eliminate any possibility of me smelling like Garth Garlic. The aroma would be non existent if the capsule were swallowed whole. Wouldn't it?
Everything went well for the first couple of days. My wife had no idea that I was on garlic until one night we were both reading in bed. Suddenly I felt the urge to express myself gastrically, and did so silently without fanfare. As the distinct smell of garlic filled the bedroom my wife stopped reading, sniffed discerningly and uttered in a loud, rather disgusted tone, " My god, Mike, you're on garlic. "
You would think that she would support my efforts to maintain and promote optimum health. Wouldn't she also benefit from having a healthy husband live a long, healthy, if not completely odour free life? The word gratitude never passed her lips. Shortly after this episode I discovered odourless garlic capsules and my health and our marriage were saved. Garlic rules!
You've got to laugh!
This is an excerpt from Mike's hilarious book, " Light Up With Laughter" ( The Humour and Health Connection) A book you've got to get to make the rest of your life the best of your life. http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?light
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore
Confronting the Reality of Death
My wife Carol and I are at an age when we find ourselves attending many more funerals than weddings. It seems that every time we read the obituaries we are off to the funeral home. It certainly makes us confront our own mortality.
Every time I visited my 90 year old mother she talked in terms of who is gone, who is about to go, and who should be gone but is still hanging on. She used to tell us that you don't really confront aging until you experience the deaths of close friends and family members. We have been told many times that death is a part of life, but are we really prepared to accept it?
I believe that one can never begin to live fully until one comes to terms with the inevitability of one's own death. But it is much easier said than done. The task that confronts us is how to remain positive, productive, peaceful and joyful in the face of the inevitable.
I can't recall the author but this is one quote that inspires me as I struggle to live life to the max and leave the thought of death in the hands of the One who created me. He said, "Everyone dies; so few really live." That's where I want to put my attention and energy, on living fully in love and hope.
This is my strategy.
I say to myself,
I AM GOING TO DIE.
WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE.
WHEN? NO ONE KNOWS.
IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO CHANGE THIS? NO."
SO I DON'T WASTE TIME WORRYING ABOUT SOMETHING OVER WHICH I HAVE NO CONTROL.
When anxiety and fear come, as they often do, I dismiss them and replace them with some of the following hope-filled thoughts. They help me a lot and I hope they do the same for you.
* "I want to tell you I have absolutely no doubt now that there is a transformation of consciousness at the point of death and we go on." Dr.Raymond Moody
* "The Blazing evidence of immortality is our dissatisfaction with any other solution."
Emerson
* "Until we love completely all things can hurt us." Thomas Merton
* "There is no path so dark nor road so steep nor hill so slippery that other people have not been there before me." M. Bedrosian
* "The tide of eternity sweeps in and life and death are two halves of the one whole. One day we shall understand the mystery, but not yet. Now we journey with faith, remembering that God said, "Let there be light." Gladys Taber
*"She has out-soared the shadow of our night." Shelly
*"Grief is the price we pay for having loved deeply. A difficult price to be sure, but one we willingly pay for the joy of loving." MM
"We aren't here for a long time so let's make sure we're here for a good time."
Live long in joy and hope.
This is an excerpt from Mike's popular book, Embracing the Mystery" (Living the Life you Want) designed to help you make the rest of your life the best of your life.
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?embracing
"How to Age without Getting Old
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?aging
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore
Every time I visited my 90 year old mother she talked in terms of who is gone, who is about to go, and who should be gone but is still hanging on. She used to tell us that you don't really confront aging until you experience the deaths of close friends and family members. We have been told many times that death is a part of life, but are we really prepared to accept it?
I believe that one can never begin to live fully until one comes to terms with the inevitability of one's own death. But it is much easier said than done. The task that confronts us is how to remain positive, productive, peaceful and joyful in the face of the inevitable.
I can't recall the author but this is one quote that inspires me as I struggle to live life to the max and leave the thought of death in the hands of the One who created me. He said, "Everyone dies; so few really live." That's where I want to put my attention and energy, on living fully in love and hope.
This is my strategy.
I say to myself,
I AM GOING TO DIE.
WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE.
WHEN? NO ONE KNOWS.
IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO CHANGE THIS? NO."
SO I DON'T WASTE TIME WORRYING ABOUT SOMETHING OVER WHICH I HAVE NO CONTROL.
When anxiety and fear come, as they often do, I dismiss them and replace them with some of the following hope-filled thoughts. They help me a lot and I hope they do the same for you.
* "I want to tell you I have absolutely no doubt now that there is a transformation of consciousness at the point of death and we go on." Dr.Raymond Moody
* "The Blazing evidence of immortality is our dissatisfaction with any other solution."
Emerson
* "Until we love completely all things can hurt us." Thomas Merton
* "There is no path so dark nor road so steep nor hill so slippery that other people have not been there before me." M. Bedrosian
* "The tide of eternity sweeps in and life and death are two halves of the one whole. One day we shall understand the mystery, but not yet. Now we journey with faith, remembering that God said, "Let there be light." Gladys Taber
*"She has out-soared the shadow of our night." Shelly
*"Grief is the price we pay for having loved deeply. A difficult price to be sure, but one we willingly pay for the joy of loving." MM
"We aren't here for a long time so let's make sure we're here for a good time."
Live long in joy and hope.
This is an excerpt from Mike's popular book, Embracing the Mystery" (Living the Life you Want) designed to help you make the rest of your life the best of your life.
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?embracing
"How to Age without Getting Old
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?aging
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Mike's Funny Side of Life: Let's Go Home
I tell anyone who will listen that their lives are filled with laughter and fun if we would only take time to notice and enjoy them. The sad fact is that we have neglected the fun side of life for so long that we fail to celebrate it when something funny happens. In so doing we miss out on the physical and mental therapy humour and laughter provide in great abundance. Let me share an example with you from my own life.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. You know, the kind of afternoon that shouts to every man, "Let's go shopping for furniture." My wife said we needed a new chair, an ottoman and a painting for the family room and would like to have me there to help pick them out. My powers of decorative selection are known far and wide, I guess.
I reluctantly agreed but pointed out that my bad back precluded any heavy lifting. We would have to get their employees to carry whatever furniture we bought, to our van. Carol agreed saying that the last thing she wanted was me moaning and groaning from back pain.After an hour or three looking we had the items selected and paid for. All that remained for us to do was to get them to the van, then home where our three grown sons could take over.
When I explained my medical incapacity to the sales person she said that the men who did the heavy lifting were out on a delivery and wouldn't be back for quite a while. At this point my misguided masculine pride took over and I heard myself saying something like, "I can handle this stuff. It isn't that heavy. " "Michael, (she always calls me Michael when she goes for emphasis) you will not touch that furniture. I do not want you flat on your back writhing in pain for two months" "But who's going to carry it if I don't?" I asked. "We will," she said, pointing to two attractive, well dressed young sales women.
With that Carol and her squad of power lifters went to work hoisting and carrying the chair, ottoman and huge picture while I, her 6' 3" 200 pound husband, stood watching. We left the store with Carol and her high heeled helpers carrying the furniture while I tagged along behind them looking sheepishly at the six million other shoppers all of whom just happened to be looking directly at me.
It was difficult, but I resisted the overwhelming temptation to explain why I was carrying nothing but my wife's purse. "Let's go home."
Just seeing humour in a situation is almost as effective as the laughter it evokes.
Always take the comic view of life.
Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.
Mike Moore is a popular motivational speaker who writes and speaks on Humour, Attitude and Human Potential.
This is an excerpt from his Book "Light Up with Laughter" (The Humour and Health Connection) A book you've got to get to make the rest of your life the best of your life.
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?light
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. You know, the kind of afternoon that shouts to every man, "Let's go shopping for furniture." My wife said we needed a new chair, an ottoman and a painting for the family room and would like to have me there to help pick them out. My powers of decorative selection are known far and wide, I guess.
I reluctantly agreed but pointed out that my bad back precluded any heavy lifting. We would have to get their employees to carry whatever furniture we bought, to our van. Carol agreed saying that the last thing she wanted was me moaning and groaning from back pain.After an hour or three looking we had the items selected and paid for. All that remained for us to do was to get them to the van, then home where our three grown sons could take over.
When I explained my medical incapacity to the sales person she said that the men who did the heavy lifting were out on a delivery and wouldn't be back for quite a while. At this point my misguided masculine pride took over and I heard myself saying something like, "I can handle this stuff. It isn't that heavy. " "Michael, (she always calls me Michael when she goes for emphasis) you will not touch that furniture. I do not want you flat on your back writhing in pain for two months" "But who's going to carry it if I don't?" I asked. "We will," she said, pointing to two attractive, well dressed young sales women.
With that Carol and her squad of power lifters went to work hoisting and carrying the chair, ottoman and huge picture while I, her 6' 3" 200 pound husband, stood watching. We left the store with Carol and her high heeled helpers carrying the furniture while I tagged along behind them looking sheepishly at the six million other shoppers all of whom just happened to be looking directly at me.
It was difficult, but I resisted the overwhelming temptation to explain why I was carrying nothing but my wife's purse. "Let's go home."
Just seeing humour in a situation is almost as effective as the laughter it evokes.
Always take the comic view of life.
Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.
Mike Moore is a popular motivational speaker who writes and speaks on Humour, Attitude and Human Potential.
This is an excerpt from his Book "Light Up with Laughter" (The Humour and Health Connection) A book you've got to get to make the rest of your life the best of your life.
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?light
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Moore
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
See, There is Humour Everywhere
Carol, my wife, was sitting in our family room reading Elle Magazine while I worked on this blog. When she read me this short quote from an article she was reading I burst out laughing.
The author of this article was a woman named Clara Young and she said that before she sat down to write she went out for lunch to a nice restaurant. One of the lunch menu items was lamb's testicles on a bed of lamb's lettuce. Her comment was, " Some feminists would say that testicles are exactly what is wrong with the world and that the safest place for them is on a plate."
I couldn't stop laughing. and immediately thought of the quote from George Bernard Shaw when he said," When you find something funny search it for hidden wisdom and truth."
I think there is both truth and wisdom in this brief story.
It's good that we can laugh at ourselves. Isn't it men?
The author of this article was a woman named Clara Young and she said that before she sat down to write she went out for lunch to a nice restaurant. One of the lunch menu items was lamb's testicles on a bed of lamb's lettuce. Her comment was, " Some feminists would say that testicles are exactly what is wrong with the world and that the safest place for them is on a plate."
I couldn't stop laughing. and immediately thought of the quote from George Bernard Shaw when he said," When you find something funny search it for hidden wisdom and truth."
I think there is both truth and wisdom in this brief story.
It's good that we can laugh at ourselves. Isn't it men?
Tuesday, March 03, 2015
Laughter Therapy: Mining the Moment
Whenever I speak to people on the therapeutic nature of
humour I encourage them to become laughologists and in so doing commit
themselves to a process I call mining the moment. When you mine the moment you examine each
human experience for the humour it contains and laugh heartily when it is
discovered.
Most of us experience
funny things happening to us, or those around us, every day. When we do, we might chuckle and continue
doing what we were doing. Mining the
moment asks us to stay with the chuckle and fan its embers into genuine
laughter. Then drain every last drop of
humour and laughter from the experience.
Why is it so important to look for humour in everything we
experience? Because humour and laughter
are much more than mere amusement, they are very good for our health and
well-being.
When we laugh great
things happen. The oxygen in our blood
increases giving us renewed energy. Our
stress levels go down and we begin to relax.
Did you know that it is impossible to worry when we laugh? The immune system is stimulated by laughter
and endorphins are released within the body giving us a strong sense of
well-being. Laughter also reduces our
blood pressure.
In social relationships laughter has concrete and specific
benefits. It has been called social glue because it bonds us to one another. In
any family or organization bonding is vital to the successful functioning of
the group. The group that laughs together, lasts together. Laughter is also
referred to as social lubricant because, just as the oil in a car engine
reduces friction thus allowing the car to run smoothly and efficiently, so does
laughter reduce inevitable friction in social relationships. People who laugh
together tend to be happier, more productive, more flexible and open to change.
The value of humour in the workplace is a good example. It
reduces stress among employees, significantly reduces absenteeism, and boosts
morale, productivity and increases job satisfaction.
I remember speaking to a blue collar worker in a large Toronto
company just before I was to speak on Humour in the Workplace. I asked him if
he liked his job. His response surprised me. He said,” No, I hate it, but I
love coming to work.” When I asked him how he could hate his job but love
coming to work he replied, “The people I work with are fantastic and we have a
lot of laughs.
The message is clear. No matter whether you’re in a family,
among friends or at work laughter offers a huge benefits. All it takes is a commitment to mining the
moments of the day for the humour they contain and giving ourselves permission
to laugh long and hard when we find it. Then sit back and watch great things
begin to happen.
I would like to leave you with these two quotes.
Any leader without a sense of humour is like a grass cutter
at a cemetery. They have a lot of people under them paying absolutely NO
attention.
Life is too serious to be taken seriously.
Let the laughter begin.
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