|
 It’s
said that laughter is contagious, and I know it’s
true. An epidemic broke out
at the 53rd Annual Convention of The Mended Hearts, Inc.
in Charleston, South Carolina on Labor Day weekend during
my “Healing, Hope and Humor: Making Hearts Merry”
presentation.
 |
Mended
Hearts Convention practicing a laughter exercise. |
Hundreds of convention
attendees (all survivors of heart incidents), family members
and other Mended Hearts chapter volunteers from across the
nation, came together in a standing-room-only crowd to experience
side-splitting laughter without the use of jokes or humor.
 They
came ready to laugh and to let their hearts be merry: No
shyness or temerity in this group. Laughter vibrations
energized this crowd from the first greeting laughter exercise
all the way to their rousing “Yes!” response
to a closing cheer “I’m happy to be alive and
in service to others.” There was even a first-ever
demonstration of a new “weekends are for chocolate”
laughter exercise.
Are you ready to experience
a mirth epidemic and let your heart be merry?
 |
Seminar
attendees practice their "cell phone laugh." |
One
way to begin your personal mirth epidemic is to focus on
giving sincere compliments to yourself and others.
It’s a way to suspend judgment and criticism so you
can experience more joy.
Here are some ideas
to suspend judgment:
• When you
wake up in the morning and catch a first glimpse of yourself
in the mirror, have some fun. Look
into your eyes and say “It’s great for me
to see you today.” Give yourself
permission to laugh out loud.
• Give yourself a compliment. Rather
than focus on thinning hair, wrinkles, flab, sagging buttocks,
graying hair—we all have a list—admire
the color of your eyes, the glimmer of your smile, the
sound of your laughter, the tingle in your toes, the flexibility
of your knees.
• When you catch yourself judging
someone or something, ask yourself “What
can I find that’s good in this person or situation?”
Begin today
to choose a heart healthy lifestyle. Set aside your judgments.
Seek to find the good in yourself and in others. You may
even hear your heart’s invitation to “C’mon,
Let’s Laugh!”
|
Marilyn
Sprague-Smith,
M.Ed.,
is
an
award-winning
consultant,
trainer,
author,
professional
speaker,
and
certified
laughter
leader.
Through
her
consulting
and
training
firm
Miracles
&
Magic,
she
partners
with
individuals
and
organizations
seeking
a
catalyst
for
long-term
positive
change.
She
is
one
of
only
six
people
in
the
world
authorized
by
The
World
Laughter
Tour
to
deliver
laughter
leader
certification
training.
As
a
frequent
guest
on
National
Public
Radio’s
WFDD
88.5
FM
Real
People.
Real
Stories.
www.wfdd.org,
she
shares
true
stories
about
the
magic
of
laughter
and
the
sparkle
it
brings
to
relationships.