Surround yourself with humour

According to one study, the average four-year-old laughs three hundred times a day, while the average adult laughs just about fifteen times. With all the obligations, stresses and activities that fill our days, we have forgotten how to laugh. Daily laughter has been shown to elevate our mood, promote creativity and give us more energy. Comedian Steve Martin reportedly laughs for five minutes in front of the mirror every morning to get his creative juices flowing and to start his day on a high note. Try it; it works. Laughter therapy has even been used to cure illnesses and heal those with serious ailments. As William James, the father of modern psychology, observed, "We don't laugh because we are happy. We are happy because we laugh." A friend of mine, always known for his wise ways, made it his new year's resolution, one year, to laughmore. Every few weeks, he would go to his local video store and rent a Three Stooges movie or buy a new book of humour, which he would then dip into when he had a few free moments during the course of his day. A positive person already, he began to notice that he felt even happier and started to laugh even more than before he undertook this personal development initiative. Because of all the humour he surrounded himself with and the new awareness it created in his life, he also began to see the lighter side of things and no longer experienced the level of stress he had felt in his professional pursuits. This simple discipline raised him to a whole new level of living and effectiveness. Why not follow my friend's lead and head down to your local video store to stock up on the latest funny movies? Then pick up a few books, perhaps something from Gary Larson's Far Side series or the much-read Dilbert cartoons, to stimulate your laughter habit. Reconnect to your playful side and enjoy the wonders of a deep belly laugh.