Donna Highfill
  • Home
  • About
    • About Donna
    • What People Are Saying
    • My Other Blogs
      • Dame Nation Blog
      • Huffington Post
  • Services
    • Power Up BUSINESS
    • Coaching
  • Books and Tools
  • Blog
    • Fave Products
  • Contact Me

Why You Should Laugh More

Donna HighfillBlog8 commentsMay 18, 2015

My daughter’s birthday was a few days ago, and my mother left her three messages throughout the day. She sang happy birthday each time, but felt the need to keep calling. Samantha said the best message was the last one, because mom just laughed hysterically and hung up.

Growing up, our entire family had a rule – Laughter First. 

When I was ten years old, my dad led my sister, brother and I out on a stone jetty at the beach. Once we reached the middle of the jetty, he turned to us and said, “Now kids, watch where you’re walking because there are . . . ” and he disappeared. He had taken a step back without looking and dropped right into the water.

Once he had climbed back up, scratched and bleeding, we all started laughing. We ran back to the beach to tell my mom, because we knew it was a great story.

For us, laughter was the reward for an unfortunate incident.

When you laugh, you light up your soul . . .

That’s right. Laughter sends hormones that act as opiates down your spine. Laughter lights you up and makes others want to be around you.

I saw an old episode of “I Love Lucy” last night, and was so relieved that I wasn’t watching someone get shot, stabbed, or devoured by a zombie. Not that I don’t watch those shows, I do, but I realized how much lighter I felt after watching Lucy’s antics.

I guess I love Lucy because I understand her. While I never lit my fake nose on fire while talking with William Holden, I did breastfeed the wrong baby.

And while I didn’t get stuck outside on a ledge while dressed as Superman, I did crawl through a window with my roommate to get into Pablo Cruise’s dressing room at Wake Forest.

Lucille Ball was a perfectionist who was courageous in her art, and believed in its power.

If you need to power up your laughter, try the following:

  1. Laugh with gusto.  Some people will shush you when you laugh too loud. Laugh anyway.  Granted, if it is your wedding night you might want to dial it back, but overall, laughter rules.
  2. Pan for funny stories. If someone is telling a story and there is a funny part, then for corn’s sake laugh! If they tell you that it wasn’t supposed to be funny, assume they are humor-impaired and tell them why it was. Grab humor like it’s gold and share it freely. We all need it.
  3. Avoid the negativity-velcro people. If someone around you serves as fly-paper for horrible stories, don’t be the fly. Stop them from spending your precious time with sad, horrible, sometimes barely-true stories.  I know one woman who’s had every body part removed at least once, yet never misses a day of work. Smile politely, and move on.
  4. Find funny shows. We know the power in drama, but don’t underestimate the power of good comedy like the Academy does each year. Sit and laugh for thirty minutes a day and see how you feel. It’s like swallowing sunshine. You feel calmer, more relaxed, and hopeful.

If tragedy is the rose, then comedy is the daisy.

Light, beautiful, and simply powerful.

 

Tags: donna highfill, inspiration, motivation, power up, Stories

Related Articles

Top 10 Reasons I Love Life

December 15, 2011Andrew

Decision Paralysis

June 22, 2010Andrew

The Chicken Little Syndrome

May 4, 2010Andrew

8 comments. Leave new

Kathy @ SMART Living 365.com
May 19, 2015 2:12 pm

Hi Donna! I so-so-so agree with this. You were very fortunate to be raised in a family where it was important. My family wasn’t as focused but I somehow grew up realizing how important it is to laugh and do my best to include it every day. And even better, there are now lots of studies out that show how good it is for our bodies as well as our hearts, minds and souls. Thank you for starting my day out in such a good way. ~Kathy

Reply
Donna Highfill
May 19, 2015 2:15 pm

Kathy – Thank you so much for your response. And I’m glad you had a family that laughed – there’s no greater gift, I think.

Reply
Carol Cassara
May 19, 2015 3:17 pm

There is NOTHING like a belly laugh to really make you feel good! We do that all the time here at home.

Reply
Donna Highfill
May 19, 2015 3:20 pm

I know, Carol . . . one guffaw (as my husband calls it) can cure so many ills.

Reply
Anita Irlen
May 19, 2015 9:28 pm

I’m going to take your suggestions, I just don’t laugh enough anymore. I remember when I was young and hanging out with girlfriends, laughing until our stomachs ached and we peed our pants. Once, in camp, my girlfriend entered our pitch black cabin, grabbed for the string to pull the light on but grabbed a fly paper strip instead. She got a fist full of sticky and dead flies. We laughed for hours.

Anita

Reply
Donna Highfill
May 20, 2015 1:25 pm

Anita – that is a GREAT story. Thank you for the laugh – I read this last night and laughed for 5 minutes.

Reply
Rena McDaniel
May 20, 2015 9:29 am

Laughter is always the very best medicine. I always say laugh lines are so much more attractive than frown lines!

Reply
Donna Highfill
May 20, 2015 1:25 pm

That is SO true, Rena! I never thought of that . . .

Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Learn How to Tell a Better Story and Achieve Success!

Sign up below to receive 48 FREE Energizing Messages.

Connect with Me

Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest

Recent Posts

  • A Cab Driver Who Appeared as if from Nowhere
  • Here’s Some Honesty For You
  • Laughter is My Hero
  • A New Year in Old Clothes
  • Why I Will Face the Fall

CHECK OUT MY BOOK

highfillcover

As a leader, do you implement change only to watch the projects, processes and initiatives stall because you can’t get the people driving them to change? In my new book Real People, Real Change: Stories of a Change Warrior in the Business World I share real stories to illustrate how leaders can move people to action.

Archives

Where Donna Will Be Speaking Next

  • April 22, 2015 - SunTrust Women's Networking Group
  • April 23, 2015 - SunTrust Women's Networking Group
  • May 12, 2015 - LPGA Championship, Kingsmill, Williamsburg VA
  • May 21, 2015 - Education Association of Fundraising Professionals, Eerie, PA

Certified_hi-res

mbti_certified
huffbadge

Learn How to Tell a Better Story and Achieve Success!

Sign up below to receive 48 FREE Energizing Messages.

Recent Posts

  • A Cab Driver Who Appeared as if from Nowhere August 9, 2017
  • Here’s Some Honesty For You March 16, 2017
  • Laughter is My Hero January 10, 2017

Contact Me

804-370-6665
[email protected]
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright
  • About Donna
  • Contact Me
Copyright Donna Highfill 2014