Value of a smile, laughter

"Laugh when trouble comes your way. Nothing conquers calamity better than that." -Kural 621

People often underestimate the value of a smile, laughter. But somehow at the back of my mind, my conscience knows its healing powers, the strength that laughter lends when you're down, and how a smile could just make your day!



Here's something I found from an article by Chuck Gallozzi:

Benefits of Laughter

1. When you make fun of yourself, you disempower those who would make fun of you and disarm possible confrontations.

2. Laughter dissolves tension, stress, anxiety, irritation, anger, grief, and depression. Like crying, laughter lowers inhibitions, allowing the release of pent-up emotions. After a hearty bout of laughter, you will experience a sense of well-being. Simply put, he who laughs, lasts. After all, if you can laugh at it, you can live with it. Remember, a person without a sense of humor is like a car without shock absorbers.

3. Medical researches have found that laughter boosts the immune system. The study of how behavior and the brain affect the immune system is called psychoneuroimmunology. Though still in its infancy, this science is rapidly gaining much attention as mankind strives to understand the mind-body relationship.

4. Laughter reduces pain by releasing endorphins that are more potent than equivalent amounts of morphine.

5. Humor helps integrate both hemispheres of our brain, for the left hemisphere is used to decipher the verbal content of a joke while the right hemisphere interprets whether it is funny or not.

6. Laughter adds spice to life; it is to life what salt is to a hard-boiled egg.

7. Develop your sense of humor and you will find you are more productive, a better communicator, and a superior team player.

8. Everyone loves someone who can make them laugh. The more you share your sense of humor, the more friends you will have.

9. Humor brings the balance we need to get through the turbulence of life comfortably.

10. Laughter is even equivalent to a small amount of exercise. It massages all the organs of the body, according to Dr. James Walsh.

11. A sense of humor can help you accept the inevitable, rise to any challenge, handle the unexpected with ease, and come out of any difficulty smiling.

People whom I meet regularly often wonder why I'm always smiling. Honestly? I don't think I smile enough or laugh enough. And in this day and time, not many people do either. I like to smile and laugh at the most silliest and senseless things...but some people find me queer because of that.

For me...Smiling is my armour. Smiling hides my sadness. Smiling overcomes my embarrassment. Smiling helps me cope with life's uncertainties. Sometimes when you are in a rage, and something really funny happens that makes you want to smile or laugh, you'll discover that you anger has vanished. That's the kind of power a smile, laughter has. It instantaneous and highly effective.

Yet, smiling is subjective. It depends on whether or not you let it heal you. All you have to do is allow it to happen! Always keep an open mind, open heart and the willingness to stretch that facial muscle of yours and indulge in a hearty laughter. Laughter is infectious, after all!

"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." - Jimmy Buffett