Humor me

Having a sense of humor is a trait not many are able to master. Because it requires intelligence to be able to spark a wit with effect at the right time.

People with a sense of humor are the ones you see laughing most often, even if only by themselves.

They are the ones with the greatest self-acceptance, because they have come to terms with who they are and what life has handed to them, and are brave enough to not only overcome the challenges but even to make fun of them.

They are creative – after all, it takes a lot of mental energy to come up with quick-witted jokes that put a smile on everyone else’s face. It is thus also associated with wisdom and love of learning.

People with humor understand the difference between laughing at someone and with them. They are conscientious in that they don’t need to hurt anyone’s feelings in order to make a joke.

Laughing is a state of life and it also keeps you fit physically and emotionally. 

It could be true that “a sense of humor is God’s antidote for anger and frustration” (Rick Warren).

Humor is one of our fundamental character strengths and an important survival tool. It helps gain intimacy, build connections and often buffer stress. But it is also what helps us remain optimistic. And like Elbert Hubbard said, “do not take life too seriously, you’ll never get out of it alive”.

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Worry less, giggle more

Constantine began laughing again. His teacher was annoyed, not so much because he was giggling, but because it came to him so suddenly and he often burst into laughter for no apparent reason.

Constantine was generally a very optimistic person. It was a trait many envied. And thus it was something he was despised for. Being hopeful in a world drowned by despair was not a characteristic that made you popular among your peers.

Constantine didn’t care, however. He believed that if he lived his life simply to please others, it would only make himself miserable. And there was no point in that. Sure, everyone had to abide to some rules, otherwise chaos would ensue. But there was no reason to constantly adopt the anguish of “what would everyone else think”. So, whenever a frantic giggle tickled his stomach, he allowed it to surface.

Constantine would laugh due to nothing and everything. It would be something that abruptly sprung to mind – an inside joke with one of his friends, a tagline from a movie, even a funny animal video he had watched the other day. It was often triggered by something else – everything is interrelated in the mind of a person caught on the verge of insanity and genius.

Constantine continued to giggle, even when he saw his teacher’s eyes staring at him, and breathing fire. He couldn’t help it. It would have been worse to suppress it. And after all, he knew that, just like a yawn, a giggle is contagious. His teacher soon lost control of the smile that was forming on her face, and swiftly the entire class began to laugh. It was as though light had finally entered a room embraced by dark clouds. And it was certainly more enjoyable that way.

 

Also part of Daily Prompt: Giggle

The key to all things

You’ve probably heard that it takes far more muscles to frown than to smile, right? But have you ever considered how wonderfully uplifting it is to laugh and transmit a positive feeling rather than a sad one?

When you smile, your eyes shine, your skin glows and you communicate an optimism that is so lacking in the complex lives we lead. In fact, we are the ones who make everything complicated. In essence, all we really need is to fill our hearts with joy through simple things: being with friends, having fun, and feeling loved.

It doesn’t really take a lot to make someone smile. An elegant humor, a joke well told, an atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable and secure.

Victor Hugo had said that “laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face”, while Mark Twain added “the human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter”. Maybe we should use it more. Because laughter is indeed the best kind of therapy, and at least when the wrinkles set in, you’ll know they’re all in the right place, for the right reasons, having enjoyed every minute of your life to the fullest.

So, smile and laugh and give your soul some fireworks!

Something spiky this way comes

It was a dark and stormy night.

It had to be, because nothing remotely as thrilling or exciting happens during a bright sunny morning. For example, you would never expect a thunderstorm to turn into a tornado that would gulp up your house when outside the birds are chirping gleefully, the sun is shining and there is not even a cloud in the sky.

So to set the atmosphere right for what would ensue, it was dark, stormy and all-in-all quite terrifying.

Amy and Adam were tucked up under their fleece blanket with a bowl of fresh popcorn steaming between them on the couch. They were watching a movie they had just downloaded. And outside the wind was howling.

Fittingly, Adam had chosen an action film to watch, and Amy often got scared, so much that she would jump up in her seat and pour popcorn all over the couch. Adam would just laugh and hug her tighter.

Little did they know, that while they were enjoying their night in, there was something creeping into their front lawn.

As the storm receded, and the wind subsided, the night became quieter. That was when Amy and Adam decided to go to bed.

But that was when he reached the outside of their front door.

Spikes all out, he remained there all night.

Until Amy, opened the door early the next morning and screamed.

The spikes had pierced her foot – she was used to walking around barefoot in the house, so it hurt even more.

But she forgot all about the pain when Adam picked up the perpetrator and she stared into his puffy eyes.

Hedgehogs are cute. And they too are scared of dark and stormy nights.

1116 days, 37 months, 159 weeks

 

 

 

 

It is strange how you find things and people
that will change your life
in places you never expect them to be.

Behind a door
in a conference hall
behind some books you never read.

But that is enough to light a flame
That will burn strong and never cease.
One that will make you braver and better in every sense
That will reinvigorate and launch a dream.

1116 days were well spent
full of a love never before felt
filled with passion and overwhelming care
of affection you never knew was there.

37 months of laughter and smiles
of fun in every form and place
of enjoying life and its surprises
of learning to enjoy whatever came.

159 weeks of fighting the world
of trying to convince people that didn’t care
of putting the view of others’ first
and realizing that was a big mistake.

1116 days of a burning flame
of surviving the thunder and rain
of lasting apart for a number of days
and growing closer and stronger together.

1116 days of sharing
a love and friendship like no other
of experiencing true affection
of dancing under a starry sky.

How can you stop a love so strong?
Just switch off all affection?
For the flame continues to burn
and no matter if the love has ended
it will never stop.