Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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June 19, 2011

He who laughs, lasts. Will you?

molly published this at 3:00 am

Have any of you seen the Tom Hanks/John Candy film, Splash? For the trivia buffs in the peanut gallery, it was the first movie I saw on a Real Date while in high school, but for the purposes of this blog post, it also provides a point of reference for this week’s installment.

Professor Kornbluth, played by Second City alum Eugene Levy, has been in hot pursuit of Hanks’ onscreen love interest, Daryl Hannah, a mermaid who has come aground in New York City in search of Hanks. NO ONE believes that Kornbluth has identified a mermaid, and after a series of injuries, he takes a header – a particularly unpleasant tumble down a stairwell. Out of sight, at the foot of the stairs, we hear him bleat, “What a week I’m having.”

Those who may have read last week’s blog post, “Who are your cheerleaders?” may remember that I had ‘one of those weeks’ LAST week. This week was more of the same, and so, in the words of my grandmother, “You can laugh or you can cry.” I choose laughter, and here’s why.

“Laughter gives us distance.  It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.”  ~Bob Newhart

While I have cried, do cry and believe in the cathartic nature of tears, I think laughter is sometimes “stronger” when we need to ACT. Crying can be a slippery slope into self-pity, depression and bogging us down. Being able to cry is important to purge emotion, and it’s always good to have a friend or loved one nearby who can give us a hug when we’re sad. That said, when we focus on the humor in any given situation, we automatically shift into a positive mindset. It’s impossible to laugh and be negative simultaneously.

Sometimes, our laughter is reflexive. We laugh at ourselves from an awareness bigger and more acute than our conscious selves. Have you ever done something particularly idiotic (while alone) and then literally laughed out loud at yourself? I have. “Smooth move!” I’ll chortle to myself, and then go about changing my behavior/trying another approach.

“I’ve always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, ‘Ain’t that the truth.’”  ~Quincy Jones

[Pure] laughter is forgiving. It’s good for our physical and mental health when we laugh. Here are a few of the physiological benefits to laughter:

Psychology Today has a comprehensive article about the social and physical benefits of laughter that may be of interest. John Cleese (one of my favorite funny people on the planet) explores laughter and its role in yoga in India. If that’s too clinical, I invite you to enjoy another clip from Cleese during his Monty Python days.

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

Aside from the increased flow of oxygen to our cells that laughter provides, I value laughter for its ability to help us relax, which allows for possibility thinking. Sometimes, we get SO FOCUSED on a particular result that when we don’t see our pre-supposed and preferred specific outcome manifesting, we get wound up. Stressed out. Tense. Laughter is a natural purge valve that allows us to release expectations and open ourselves up to opportunities we haven’t considered.

I actually keep a file of laughter-inducing YouTube clips in my bookmarks for those days when I don’t find much to laugh about. If there’s a chance they may do you any good, here are a few:

“Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.”  ~Jack Handey, (Deep Thoughts, Saturday Night Live)

Happy Father’s Day and I’ll see you next Sunday. :)

——-
Molly Cantrell-Kraig is a woman with drive. Possessing an innate sense of purpose and a pragmatic, solution-based approach to empowering people, she fused these two traits in order to establish Women With Drive Foundation. Based upon its founder’s personal history, Women With Drive Foundation is a means through which Cantrell-Kraig may effect change on both a micro and macro level. By providing women with something as essential as personal transportation in order to transition them from poverty to prosperity, she, through Women With Drive Foundation, seeks to empower women to help them help themselves. Through this action, the individual applicant benefits, as does society as a whole. Follow Molly on twitter as @mckra1g or@WWDr1ve (Women With Drive)

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Filed under Guest Writer, Successful Blog | 7 Comments »


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7 Comments to “He who laughs, lasts. Will you?”

  1. June 19th, 2011 at 4:50 am
    Keith Davis said

    Hi Molly
    Love your take on laughter and those quotes are fantastic.

    I’m a big believer in using humour to get a point across.
    As someone brighter than me said…

    “When the mouth is open for laughter, you may be able to shove in a little food for thought.”
    Dr Virginia Trooper

    How true that is.

    My first visit here, but as your strap line says…

    “You’re only a stranger once.”

  2. June 19th, 2011 at 7:40 am
    Cherry Woodburn said

    I agree. Laughter is cathartic, healing and just plain fun. I never thought of it in relation to crying, i.e.helping us take action. I think I agree with that too but will have to pay attention to the differences for me.
    Haven’t heard “chortle” in a while and it’s such a great word.
    “There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.”
    — Erma Bombeck
    “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.”
    — Erma Bombeck

  3. June 19th, 2011 at 8:13 am
    Molly said

    Cherry, those are great quotes from Erma Bombeck! She had a gift for wit and wisdom through humor. Thanks for noticing “chortle.” As a writer, it’s fun to use words that explain exactly what I mean to say. It’s also fun to invent words; for example, have you ever laughed so hard that you snorted? I have and now refer to that as a “snortle.” :) Hope you have a wonderful Sunday, and thanks for taking the time to comment. Best, M.

  4. June 19th, 2011 at 8:57 am
    Molly said

    Hi Keith! Welcome to Liz’ Strauss’ Successful Blog(er) series. I consider myself lucky to be among those who blog with/for Liz. She has a knack for nurturing people and seeing the best in them.

    Your quote from Virgina Trooper is one I hadn’t heard, but now it will pop up in my head when I have a chance to learn and laugh. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. Best, M :)

  5. June 19th, 2011 at 7:42 pm
    NEENZ said

    Just moments ago, Noe and I were rolling in a belly aching laugh, and only paused because we heard the same coming down the hall from our children. Laughter rules in our home of loudness! It keeps us together, and after reading this post, we know we’ll all last :)

  6. June 19th, 2011 at 9:56 pm
    Molly said

    NEENZ, your comment made me smile! :) How wonderful that you and your family can share laughter. Thanks so much for leaving a comment.

  7. July 2nd, 2011 at 8:56 pm
    Stress And The Urban Lifestyle: Problems And Solutions « Entrepreneurial Advice And Insights said

    [...] He who laughs, lasts. Will you? (successful-blog.com) [...]

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