Tip: Smile more and mean it. Don’t take yourself so seriously; be alive!
One of the saddest things that can happen to us is that we get too serious about life. I know from time to time, I feel as though the weight of the whole world is on my shoulders. I get so focused on the task that I am dealing with that I sometimes forget about the personal relationships that really should take precedence over simply getting my work done. Perhaps you can identify.
I know that smiling makes me feel better and I understand it is even better for my health. I have been told that medical doctors are now doing laughter therapy in order to help their patients feel better. I know that when I laugh hard for a long time, I feel as though I have gotten a good workout. Other people have told me it is also true of them as well. Endorphins are released in our bodies when we work out and, also when we laugh. Endorphins are the chemicals that help us feel better and have a sense of well-being. I think it is true that laughter is the best medicine that any of us can receive. I recently heard a couple of jokes I thought I would share with you that were cute and really made me laugh.
It seems there was an older couple who had some of their senior friends over for dinner. They enjoyed a wonderful evening together and afterwards the wives were in the kitchen, talking and cleaning up. The man of the house looked at his guest and said, “My wife and I recently went to a brand new restaurant and the food was fantastic! You really ought to take your wife and go out to eat there. I know you would enjoy it!” The visiting friend said, “What was the name of it?” The older gentleman sat and thought for a minute and finally said, “What is the name of that long-stemmed red flower that has thorns?” His friend looked at him and answered, “A rose?” The man replied, “Yes, that’s right.” Then he turned and shouted to the kitchen, “Hey, Rose, what was the name of that restaurant that we ate at just the other night?!”
Every time I tell that joke, I laugh. I think it is so funny because, which one of us has not experienced the loss of memory and had to ask for someone’s help to remember the simplest of things?
The other joke that I heard that I thought was a lot of fun was this one: A man and his wife were sitting on the front porch having a nice evening talking with each other. Suddenly, the neighbor across the street pulled up and got out of his car. He had a big bouquet of flowers and a large box of candy in his hands. As the couple on the porch watched, their neighbor’s wife came out to greet her husband. He hugged and kissed her and gave her the box of candy and the flowers. Then they walked into their house hand-in-hand.
The wife on the front porch looked at her husband and said, “Why don’t you ever do anything like that?” He exclaimed, “Are you kidding?! I hardly know that woman!” Ha-ha-ha-ha! I know you can hear me laughing now.
I know that those are just a couple of silly jokes, but I laugh every time I hear them and I sometimes laugh even harder when I tell them. Why am I sharing this with you? Just to remind you that laughter is such great medicine.
I think I enjoyed life more when I was younger. Since I have gotten older and have more responsibility, I find that I have allowed my senses to become dulled and overly serious. However, it is up to me not to let my daily life become so busy and focused on work that I forget to smile and enjoy life. Therefore, I have purposed in my heart to focus more on being alive, smiling more, laughing more, and not taking myself, and life, so seriously. I have been practicing this new approach for the past few weeks and I have already begun to enjoy life more.
I invite you to go on this path with me and see if things don’t go better in your own life. I am sure you will be healthier when you take this approach and I am positive that you will be happier!
Tip: Smile more and mean it. Don’t take yourself so seriously; be alive!
Have a great week! God bless you!
Dr. Robert A. Rohm
