Pass the Cheese, Please!

Let's face it. Life is tough sometimes. We face challenges every day. How do we get through the challenges and stay motivated to move on? Honestly, humor IS the best medicine, and Evergreen music helps too!

I'm not suggesting walking through life with rose-colored glasses, but I am suggesting that a light-hearted outlook on life is better than looking at your glass half empty all the time. Even the most stressful situations have a funny side to them -- maybe not at the time, but later and after reflection, you can laugh about the circumstances before, during and after the episode.

When I was about 8 years old my family was living in the Washington D.C. area and one day my Dad asked if I'd like to go to work with him. He was the personnel director at United Airlines at Washington National Airport.  We were going to spend a few hours at his office, then walk around the city for a bit in the afternoon. I was really looking forward to a great day with my Dad.

As we were walking, a large bird flew over me, crapped, and hit me right on the head. The crap oozed down the side of my head, around my ear, down my neck and into my shirt. YUCK! Dad looked at me calmly and said, "You know, for some people, they sing." He started laughing and handed me his handkerchief to wipe off the crap….Dad still laughing. My father managed to turn a crappy event happening to me into a funny memory with my Dad. Beginning that day, I started looking for the humor in even the most despairing times.

I am not talking about always making jokes, trying to get people to laugh at you, or using inappropriate humor. I am suggesting if we lighten up a bit, we can keep things in perspective. Humor can serve as a leveling force for the extremes we sometimes encounter. In his book, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose, Tony Hsich says, " Things are never as bad or as good as they seem."

Ask yourself, would I rather be around people who smile and laugh on a regular basis? The answer for most people is YES! Laughter not only helps us maintain positive relationships, it also makes us feel better and contributes to our health. Laughing releases feel-good endorphins that:

• Promote a euphoric feeling
• Decrease depression
• Elevate our mood
• Enhance memory
• Produce a sense of satisfaction
• Reduce stress
• Expand our lungs and stretch muscles
• Release pent-up anger and negative emotions
• Boost the immune system

Just smiling is contagious. It attracts people to you. People like to laugh, and they like to be around people who laugh.  To be good at humor shows intelligence and creativity. Be sure the style and content of your humor is consistent with your purpose and intent. You do not need to be serious all the time to be respected. In fact, levity can garner more respect when leveraged correctly.

Remember that humor is a great tool when used appropriately. You need to use humor as your authentic self, and not hide behind humor trying to be someone you are not or using it when it does not represent your true values and beliefs.  It must characterize your true intent and purpose. So, keep things in perspective, look on the bright side, lighten up a bit, enjoy some Evergreen music and smile more often. It is contagious!

Humor is one of the six Differentiators discussed in my book The 9 Dimensions of Conscious Success.  Assess your personal strengths and barriers to success for each of the 9 Dimensions shown in the Success Model below and receive a comprehensive report with tips and strategies to improve your success behaviors. The Conscious Success Personal Assessment is available for $24.95 on my website at www.DavidENielson.com.

By David E. Nielson, CEO, DNAWorldwide, LLC

Author of The 9 Dimensions of Conscious Success

www.DavidENielson.com

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