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Choose Laughter to Embrace Self-Nurturing

Picture of Kelley laughing

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.”

~Audrey Hepburn

 

I totally agree with Audrey! I love people who make me laugh. I believe humor is one of the greatest gifts and best coping skills available to us. I am so grateful that laughter can change our perspective and brain chemistry and instantly elevate our mood.

 

The transformative power of laughter allows us to hold grief, disappointment, anger, hurt, and sadness without becoming consumed by these emotions and leads us to a new way of relating to ourselves.

 

As Robert Frost said, “If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane.” Laughter has the most incredible ability to cut through conflict, challenging emotions, misunderstandings, and anger, and opens us to a new way of interacting with ourselves and others more rapidly than almost any other strategy.

 

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor,” as Charles Dickens reminds us. The emphasis on good humor though is the key. Laughing at ourselves can be truly healing, allowing us to not take ourselves too seriously, but laughing at others moves into the category of unkindness that corrodes all involved.

 

Anyone who knows me knows I love to laugh and have a very distinctive laugh that usually turns heads. My enthusiastic laugh expresses the essence of the joy I feel. For the past twenty-eight years, my husband has been able to find me in a crowd either from hearing me laugh or seeing my curly hair.

 

I am deeply grateful that my husband and I both cherish humor and laughter, even in profoundly difficult times. We seek out opportunities with each other, our family, friends, and at work to laugh and bring humor into our daily lives as a way of reducing stress, inspiring joy, resolving conflict, and enhancing our relationships. It is amazing how laughing together can really connect a group of people, even if they are strangers.

 

I believe that humor is deeply self-nurturing and so I hope you will seek out opportunities to laugh at yourself, with your loved ones, and in groups of people to spread more love, joy, and light in the world.

 

As George Gordon Byron’s advises, “Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.”

 

May you choose laughter as a practice of self-nurturing as you nurture peace in the world from the inside out!

Kelley Grimes

Sending you so much peace, love and gratitude,

Kelley Grimes, M.S.W.
Counselor, Author & Speaker

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Join the discussion 18 Comments

  • Suzie Cheel says:

    Just love that photo of you- that joy as well as laughter- so full of love and life, Yes to laughter as being healing thank you xxoo

  • Heather says:

    Laughter is a feel good emotion that can keep us happy.

  • I suddenly remembered the song ‘I love to laugh’ from Mary Poppins while reading your post, Kelley. There is nothing sweeter than the sound of laughter because it encourages us to laugh too.

  • Andrea says:

    I’m not sure which I love more — the post or the photo. Both are very lovely.

  • Whenever I need a good laugh, I pull out old Jerry Lewis movies to watch. Even after seeing some of them dozens of times, I still roar with laughter. It’s like a good detox only better!

    • I love the idea of laughter as detox Barb! How wonderful to have a beautiful tool like old Jerry Lewis movies to help you roar with laughter. Thank you so much for sharing!

  • In the insanity of this morning’s activities, I started to laugh.
    Why not? It helped. Soothed the craziness.
    You see there are two roofers pounding above plus coming in and out. Without notfication, they decided to remove the chimney above resulting in debirs falling into the fireplace and spilling onto the sisal rug and white living room furniture. WTH?!
    Emergency clean up!
    Then the cable guy showed up.
    Internet down. Where’s your other equipment. What are your passwords?
    Phone ringing.

    So, yes, LAUGHING HELPS!

  • Rachel says:

    Love this!!! I love reading stories about people who heal themselves with the practice of laughter, like that guy who healed himself from cancer by watching the three stooges. In reevaluation counseling, a healing organization I am part of, we say that laughter heals deep fears that otherwise distort our picture of reality. Yay to laughter!

  • CK Kochis says:

    Love the article, Kelley! Our wild sense of humor has gotten my family through a lot of heartbreak and endearing moments. May giggles and love always embrace your heart and soul.

    • Our family has also used humor to balance the grief and heartbreaking moments. I so appreciate your comment Cindy and your aspiration of giggles and love embracing my heart and soul. Thank you so much! Sending you love!

  • Tara Sage says:

    Great picture of you! And so much yes to this. Keeping a sense of humor about life is a must. Keep on laughing! 🙂

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