Laughter....a cure for lemonitits

Wikipedia defines laughter as;
Laughing is an involuntary reaction to certain external or internal stimuli. Laughter can arise from such activities as being tickled,^[1] or from humorous stories or thoughts.^[2] Most commonly, it is considered a visual expression of a number of positive emotional states, such as joy, mirth, happiness, relief, etc. On some occasions, however, it may be caused by contrary emotional states such as embarrassment, apology, or confusion ("nervous laughter)" or courtesy laugh. Factors such as age, gender, education, language, and culture are determinant factors^[3] as to whether a person will experience laughter in a given situation.
Laughter is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group — it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. Laughter is sometimes seen as contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback.^[4] This may account in part for the popularity of laugh tracks in situation comedy television shows.
The study of humor and laughter, and its psychological and physiological effects on the human body, is called gelotology.

Now on with today's story-
I went to see a friend this week and my brother was there. When he and I are together we usually have a good laugh about some of our childhood shenanigans. Like when I was going on my first date and he arrived to find me duck tapped to the front porch. Or, the time my glasses got broken due to us rough housing. Important info to know is that a paper towel DOES NOT  wipe super glue off of glasses. I spent the next day bouncing off things because of the haze over my lenses. She asked us where we got our witty sense of humor from. I thought to my self. "self; laughter was our only way of surviving our childhood".

Then being the deep thinker that I am, I started to explore just how much all of us use laughter for different reasons. Like for my brother and I it was probably, subconsciously, an escape from what we dealt with.

Think about how often at a funeral you will see groups of people standing in a huddle telling funny stories about the deceased. No matter if it's out of nervousness or sadness, that's how a lot of people deal with death.

Even during an interview or a class, some people get the giggles (yes even guys) as a coping mechanism for stress.

Laughter is good for your health

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm

I think most women would say one of the top things they want in a mate is someone to make them laugh. I am drawn to people who are witty and quick with a comeback.

So, when your doctor tells you that you have a bad case of the lemonitis, maybe rent a movie, check out YouTube or call your funniest friend.

Here are a list of movies that make me LOL;



http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Nine-Yards-Bruce-Willis/dp/0790750422



http://www.amazon.com/The-Sweetest-Thing-Unrated-Edition/dp/B000069HYG

http://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-Dynamite-Jon-Heder/dp/B00005JNBQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1375282684&sr=1-1&keywords=nepolian+dynamite

http://www.amazon.com/American-Reunion-Unrated-Jason-Biggs/dp/B005LAIH9A/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1375282709&sr=1-1&keywords=american+pie+reunion

My truch is always tuned to the comedy channel on XM.
Here are a few great comdeians to check out on youtube that I promise will make you smile

Kathleen Madigan
John Pinnette
Bob Marley
Kenn Kingston
Craig Shoemaker
Frank Caliendo
Leanne Morgan (local girl)
Jon Reep (from HICK-ory NC)

As, for my brother, I truly believe my sense of humor came from him. Thank you Woody for teaching me early on to laugh even when everything around you is wrong. I Love you forever!

Until next time- Safe Picking and Laugh On!!!

Tammy

Facebook or Lemonbook?

I totally agree that Facebook has lots of positives to it. For example, on your birthday, it is very heart warming to get so many birthday wishes from people who would never know it's your birthday. Facebook has been a great tool when I am looking for something I can't find. Just post it, and usually 7 people will give you suggestions.

But Facebook does has it's negatives as well. One that I've been thinking about the last couple of weeks is how it seems to take you back to high school days. I know for me, and I'm certain someone else feels this way, that I start comparing my life to others. "How do they have that kind of money to spend 3 weeks in Europe?" "How is she that skinny after having 5 children?" "I'm a failure because I don't get up and run 7 miles at 5:30am every morning." Or, "they have a perfect family, one boy, one girl and a white picket fence", and I never even gave birth to a child of my own. It seems to just accentuate the lemons you were either handed or picked.

But just like in high school, Facebook is a digital edition of your yearbook. All the pretty pictures, successful honors and accolades are posted for everyone to see how wonderful you are. But, it can leave and empty space for those that are different than that.

I have to keep myself in check when browsing through FB. I have to remind myself that no one (well most people would not), post pictures of the pink slip their husband got at work that day. I've never seen anyone post their mugshot from their DUI arrest. You never see the beautiful lady with mascara running down her face after finding out her husband has a girlfriend.

I guess this takes us back to a lesson we should have learned in kindergarten.We are all different. You should not be jealous of what other have. And, love yourself.

We are all created in His image the way he wants us to be. You have 2 choice in life. Accept what you have and are or change it.

PROVERBS 14:30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.


Until next time- safe picking and safe FB browsing.

Tammy