Being human is a guaranteed
way to have a close encounter with humility. Indeed, I’ve
discovered this human experience helps me to be humble.
I’ve also discovered laughter is social glue
that allows us to be more loving and gentle with ourselves,
and others, when we’re feeling ignorant and vulnerable.
I remember a time when laughter worked its magic
for me.
It
happened during a one-on-one guided tour of a client site,
a world-renowned medical center. It’s a place known
for being a haven of hope for people who have life-threatening
conditions. Individuals travel from around
the world to receive state-of-the-art treatment at this
medical center. For some, this is the last stop.
We were nearing the
end of our tour, ready to enter a stairwell and head up
a flight of stairs, headed back to the training room. My
client stopped and pointed to a message board near an elegant
lounge area. She described,
in an upbeat tone, that this was where patients, family
members and friends posted daily messages of encouragement
to one another.
“Wow,”
I chortled. “Someone’s really giving Donna a
booster today. Look at that one, ‘R.I.P.,
Donna.’ That’s a go get ‘em message. Bet
she zips through treatment today.”
There was
a moment of silence. That’s when I knew my ignorance
exposed itself at a most inopportune time. I was humiliated
to appear so ignorant in front of my client.
She looked at me with
gentle eyes; a look that told me a warm, loving heart was
about to assuage my humiliation. With laughter lacing through
her words, she said, “Well,
I’ve never thought of rest in peace in that light.
I guess that is the ultimate booster.”
Her laughter
eased my discomfort. The fear of looking stupid simply melted
away. Her laughter gave me permission to laugh at myself.
Together, we laughed all the way up the stairwell. Our spirits
were high as we began the workshop.
You,
too, can embrace your human experience in times of fear,
doubt, uncertainty, as well as those times that ignorance
tries to make a fool of you. Let laughter
be your elixir. It has a life-time guarantee. So, let 'er
rip. 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.
She
leads
Uplifting
Spirit
Laughter
Club
at
Unity
in
Greensboro
on
the
second
Friday
night
of
each
month.
It’s
free
and
open
to
the
public.
To
find
out
more
about
laughter
clubs,
or
to
bring
her
healing
laughter
programs
to
your
next
event,
or
to
register
for
certified
laughter
leader
training
in
the
Triad,
visit
www.miraclesmagicinc.com.
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.
