LAUGH, GRIN & SHARE

“If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.”
Herodotus, The History of Herodotus, Book II

Want to enjoy life a little more? Then laugh, grin, and share it! Laughter is contagious! And if you’re a carrier you’ll enjoy life more, your marriage will be more fun, and you’ll even be healthier! Solomon, who was supposed to the wisest person on earth, wrote that a cheerful heart is good medicine. [Footnote: Proverbs 17:22] Actually research show that 100 laughs a day is equal cardiovascularly to ten minutes of rowing. Besides increasing your aerobic fitness, laughter massages the muscles of your face, diaphragm, and abdomen; and relaxed muscles mean fewer headaches.

Also humor increases your creative problem-solving ability. Humor won’t make your hair grow or save lives, but having a good sense of humor will make you more resilient! So how can you grin and share it with others? Here are some tips:

· Look for humor and lighten up. Laugh at your goofy errors instead of getting upset about them. When you’re caught in traffic or stuck in a line, see if you can turn that frustrating situation into an amusing one. One couple we know always kiss in traffic jams.

· Collect humor aids. Cut out cartoons for the refrigerator door or send via text. Funny buttons, stickers or T-shirts can help you share giggles. Stockpile your favorite comedy videos. Wear a false mustache to the dinner table.

· Make others laugh. Send or email a silly card or comic strip to a friend. Disguise your voice and leave a funny message on your mate’s cell. We have one friend who continually passes out bubble gum to everyone he meets. Each time he hands us a piece of bubble gum, we smile. You will find that laughter is contagious.

· Make time for fun. On weekends take time to kick back. Your to-do list will wait for Monday. Plan a fun activity this weekend with your mate.

· Celebrate today! Rejoice in God’s creation. You’ll never live another day just like this one.

Now it’s your turn. Start by writing down five reasons you should be cheerful today like:

1. "I’m healthy and laughing" will help me stay healthy!

2. I have all I really need (home, food, shelter, and a loving spouse).

3. I have free ..... -a cheerful heart!

4. I don’t have to be perfect and I can laugh at myself and with my mate!

5. I’m married to my best friend.

Next make a list of fun and funny things you can do today to lighten up. Use some of our suggestions to increase your humor quotient. Learning to laugh and have fun together is serious business in marriage and will help you divorce-proof your relationship. After all, how many couples do you know who were laughing and having fun together on the way to the divorce court? So remember Solomon’s advice “A joyful heart is good medicine!” Take a big dose today! Then laugh, grin, and share it!