Laughter really is an important innate feature that can be used to relieve stress, lighten a mood and change a gloomy disposition. Think of it as a gift. When life is getting the best of you, laughter can soften the blow and when we laugh we are opening ourselves up to new possibilities of freedom and bliss. 

When driving to work the other morning I found myself missing a friend who is away traveling. The sadness caught me by surprise and found me starting to slump in my drivers seat. But as soon as I realized what was happening, I immediately forced myself to think of a good memory and I automatically smiled. Once I realized I was smiling it made me giggle and that in turn sent a full fledged laugh from my heart. I’ve said it before and I insist on saying it again, “laughter is a smile that bursts!” And once I started laughing I was able to keep laughing and I instantly felt better. And at that very moment I realized that I had pulled up to a red light and a guy in a car next to me was looking at me like I was crazy. But he was laughing. Which actually made me laugh a little harder and in the interim I silently grasped the power that a laugh can do for me and those around me.

The laughter made me instantly happy and my laughter made a stranger laugh and gave him a story for how his day started with a laugh. When the stress of your day-to-day gets too much for you, take time to play and find the laughter. Find something that makes you happy, reminds you of your childhood, or just plain ole makes you joyful. We can lift ourselves out of most circumstances with the powerful nature of an unconditional laugh.

You might want to find a quiet place to experience your laughter, but I suggest that you laugh in front of others! Try it. Just start laughing on purpose and see how many people you can get to laugh with you. Eventually you will all be laughing and you won’t even know what your laughing about.

When was the last time you had a gut grabbing, tear spilling, ribs hurting, burst out laughing kind of laugh? 

.