HAD YOUR DAILY DOSE?

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." - Victor Hugo

Daily Dose

Norman Cousins was diagnosed with a "terminal illness". He had six months to live, with a 1 in 500 chance of recovery. He could see that worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to, and perhaps helped cause, his disease. He wondered, "If illness can be caused by negativity, can wellness be created by positivity?" Well, let's find out. So, he decided to make an experiment of himself. Laughter was one of the most positive activities he knew. He rented all the funny movies he could find: Keaton, Chaplin, Fields, the Marx Brothers and rented the films. He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said, heard or did something funny. He had so much pain he couldn't sleep. He discovered a 10 minutes dose of laughter relieved his pain for several hours. Amazingly, Cousins didn't only recover, but went on to live another 20 happy, healthy and
productive years.

Since Cousins' mind blowing subjective work, studies have shown that laughter has a curative effect on the body, the mind and the emotions. With so many "legitimate" and valid reasons to be sad thrown into our lives everyday, most people consciously deprive themselves from laughter - they don't see the need to laugh - there's not enough reason to. With so much pressure at work, to a wicked boss to a collapsing economic situation to failing marriage and so on. You name it.

Some think it's a luxury, they can't afford. No. Let me correct that notion. It's an indulgence you can't afford to ignore - make time for it. You've got to. Nothing could be further from the truth. Laughter is essential to our well-being, to our "aliveness". If we’re not well, laughter helps us get well; if we are well, laughter helps us stay that way. Charlie Chaplain said, "A day without laughter is a day wasted." Take stock of your daily life, and be sure to evaluate if you waste everyday. Throw in a dose of laughter into that troubled heart. It's medicine for the body, mind and soul. Some diseases may be contagious, but none is as contagious as the cure...laughter.