“A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your step as you walk the tightrope of life.” ~William Arthur Ward
When is the last time you had a good laugh? I’m talking tears streaming down your cheeks, belly-aching, hold your breath kind of laughter. How did you feel after laughing like that?
Research has shown several benefits of laughter for both our physical and emotional health. Laughter helps us by:
So where do you find humor? Think of times in the past (situations, people, things) that have prompted a good laugh. Make a list because it’s easy to forget when you’re overwhelmed. Keep that list handy in times of stress as a reminder of what to do to lighten things up. Here’s some other ideas where you might find some laughter:
I encourage you to use laughter as a way to not only let go of the seriousness of life and relieve stress, but also to get more creative. Having fun is a great way to tap into creativity, and ultimately to the healing power you have within yourself.
I’d love to hear what you found funny (and inspiring). Leave a comment below.
Photo: Laughing at Dean © by wickenden
Do words like commitment and honesty characterize who you are? Are your actions consistent with these beliefs? It takes great courage to live by our beliefs and stand up in the face of challenges. Enjoy this little movie – a little reminder of how important not only our words are, but living life by walking our talk.
When I work with clients, I often talk about how important our language is. The words we use give a glimpse into how we think. After listening to just a few sentences, I can tell you how you typically think about yourself and the world in general.
You may notice, as I do, that the words you use shift when you are feeling more stressed or overwhelmed. I know I can catch myself using “bad” words such as “can’t,” “should,” and “shouldn’t.” When I hear those words coming out of my mouth, I know I’m feeling anxious and my thoughts have shifted from positive to negative. How do I know? Because I have learned over the years to gauge not only the words I use, but other things as well that are all connected – like my thoughts, my body senstions, how I’m feeling, and the actions I take (and don’t take).
If I notice a bad word coming out of my mouth, I can follow it to my thoughts, (which might be focused on how unfair something is), which is connected to a physical sensation (such as a tightening in my stomach or lump in my throat), which is connected to how I’m feeling (perhaps frustrated), which is all tied into my actions (such as throwing my hands in the air or confronting someone head on). Awareness of how one small thing affects the bigger things is key to unlocking your own ability to change, make things (make life) better.
Here’s your challenge:
You will notice quickly how just shifting the words you allow to come out of your mouth will start to affect other things – like your thoughts, body sensations, feelings, and actions.
For more tips on how to make small changes that make a big POSITIVE difference, please join me for my next monthly FREE Telseminar, “Suffering is Optional: Your Mindset Creates Your Reality.” Simply go to the REGISTRATION page at https://krylyn.com/free-teleseminars/suffering-is-optional, and enter your name and email to get signed up. Even if you can’t attend the live call, you will get access to the recording of the call, but only if you register.
Photo: Speak NO Evil © by Esparta
If you want to make God laugh, make plans. I don’t know when I first heard that or who said it, but I sure do agree with it these days. It’s hard to remember the last time I had a day go even close to what I had planned. And believe me, I am a planner.
From to-do lists, to calendars, action plans, marketing plans, business plans, project plans…I love my lists. Give me a goal, and I can break it down for you step by step with tasks and deadlines. In fact, I can remember doing that in high school, scheduling my life in 15 minute increments in my day planner. I remember my sophomore English teacher being quite impressed by it. And it was fairly easy to manage when all I had on my plate was high school, a part-time retail job, and my family.
But somewhere along the way, life got a bit more complicated. Enter college, a full-time job, and part-time jobs on top of it, boyfriends, graduation, more jobs, a marriage, a baby, a divorce, graduate school, re-careering, etc. The lists got longer and the days got shorter.
What I’ve learned is that while planning may be an important (and helpful) part of life, there must also be space for other things that come up. Because there’s no way to plan for everything, every situation, every scenario. Once I started to adopt this new way of thinking, I realized it wasn’t the planning that had helped me all along as much as it was the feeling of being in control and prepared.
How to be in Control…First I must say that control is an illusion. We want control when we think we don’t have it. And the thought of being out of control can drive otherwise rational, sane people over the edge. Control is really about having our expectations met. It’s a nice thing, but not always going to happen. The only thing we really have control over is ourselves – our thoughts and behaviors. Most of the time, it seems to me that people who talk about control are upset because people around them aren’t meeting their expectations. That’s not a fun situation, but it happens…all the time. The more we can realize and accept that we cannot control others (whether our kids, spouses, partners, friends, bosses, etc.), and that we can only control ourselves, the easier things seem to get.
How to be Prepared…Being prepared is an entirely different animal. It is possible to be prepared for any situation that comes your way. How, you ask? By trusting yourself. Trust that you can handle whatever life throws at you. Trust that you will make the best decision you can with what resources you have at your disposal. Trust that you (or someone you know) can help you find answers and solutions. And trust that everything will be okay, regardless of how it turns out.
I planned to get some work done yesterday, but instead was faced with an intense family situation that stirred up a lot of emotions. I rearranged my planned schedule. I trusted myself to know what was best for me. I allowed myself space and time to feel, vent, breathe, and then get a bare minimum of work done.
Remember life happens in spite of your plans. How will you handle the next interruption?
Photo: Stop Hammertime © by Rich Anderson
In honor of the 4th of July, I put together a little top 5 list of songs about freedom. But not your ordinary type of freedom as celebrated on this day – freedom in terms of the choices we make. Enjoy!
5. Freedom Time by Lauryn Hill
4. Freedom by Solange
3. Freedom by Madonna
2. Freedom by George Michael
1. Freedom of Choice by Devo
Do you know anyone who is “doom and gloom” most of the time? Always finding the worst in every situation, or playing the martyr or victim? Pointing out what could go wrong and continuously talking about how miserable they are? And no matter what evidence they’re confronted with to the contrary, they find a way to turn it back to what’s wrong, rather than what is (or could be) right? Is that someone you know who is like this you?
Despite popular belief, suffering is optional. We can choose to find the worst in every situation or we can choose to find the best. Those who opt for door #1 (the negative) will see the world, other people, and themselves with this filter of negativity. Those who opt for door #2 (the positive) will see the world, other people, and themselves with that filter of positivity. What will you choose?
If you’re ready to shift your mindset and let go of suffering, please join me for July’s FREE Teleseminar… “Suffering is Optional: Your Mindset Creates Your Reality.”
In this teleseminar, I’ll cover:
Don’t delay. Sign up today. The live call is coming soon. But don’t worry, if you can’t attend live, you can still sign up and get access to the recording. Simply go to the REGISTRATION page and enter your name and email to get signed up.