Actress Cheryl Ladd says you must keep your sense of humor, even when you think "it's two towns over, in a ditch." Einstein explains why: "You can't solve a problem with the same level of mind that created it."
It's true, humor can change your brain chemically (by causing endorphins to be produced) and physically (by creating new connections of neurons). Humor can get you out of a thinking rut, often in a relatively short period of time.
''Good-humored" humor (without malice) contributes to our well-being holistically, with benefits in these areas and probably more:
Creativity
Have you heard the expression, "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly"? Humor raises our vibration to make it easier to gain intuitive input. Creativity is also enhanced by new connections among the neurons in the brain.
Learning
Learning is more effective and long-lasting if it's presented in a humorous way.
Motivation and Morale
Humor helps us to draw on our intrinsic motivation. It helps pull us toward what we want to accomplish. Motivation from an outside source, such as a demanding boss, pushes us forward. Feeling pushed can cause the quality of our work to decline, and morale will suffer.
Relationships
Because humor raises our vibration, we are more likely to be drawn to others who have raised their vibrations, too, and you will find the quality of your relationships improving.
Health
All areas of your health can be improved by humor: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Laughter has been likened to an internal massage! Humor helps to dispel negative, lower energies, and replace them with lighter, more positive ones, which over time can enhance healing.
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Life Is Messy
Being able to laugh at yourself is very important. We make mistakes. There are things about ourselves we wish we could change.
Take a tip from Abraham Lincoln. His life was riddled with personal and public defeats. And his physical appearance was somewhat awkward and homely.
One day as Lincoln was speaking in public, someone called him "two-faced." Lincoln probably knew that this person's mind was made up, so instead of trying to reason with him, he chose humor for his response. Lincoln said, "Sir, if I had two faces, do you think I'd be wearing this one??"
Out of the Mouths of Babes
Humor and creativity come very naturally to children, and it's a great way to communicate with them. Maybe some of that amazing humor and creativity that we were schooled out of will be rejuvenated!
So, when we think we're too busy for "fun and games," we need to reconsider our position. We often resist what we need the most!
The Conscious Mind Can't Go It Alone
We can shut down, hunker down, and try to create with the limited material in our conscious minds, but this is often a self-contained loop that gets us nowhere. Or we can lighten up, loosen up, and open up to the vast creative opportunities available to us when we allow the input of our unconscious mind and the collective unconscious.
Let Your Sense of Humor Bridge the Gap
Humor takes down the walls that are blocking your creativity and uses them for bridges!
Here's to a New Year filled with laughter and creativity,
Susan
P.S. 'Need any help getting the New Year off to a great start? See my Dec. 11 post on creative resolutions and/or email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up a complimentary coaching tele-session!
**All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.**
