The warning sign said, “Beware Motorcycles: Rumble Strip in Center Lane.” I was driving through a highway construction zone. Four lanes of divided highway narrowed to two. I read the sign and dismissed it. I wasn’t on a motorcycle. I was driving my SUV with cruise control engaged. So far, it was a smooth ride.

My mind was occupied in a mental rehearsal of my presentation. Driving time was on schedule. I even had a little extra time, a buffer, in case I took a wrong turn. I was in my comfort zone, feeling like the master of my universe.

Brrrut! Brrrut! Brrrut!

The sound of my tires on rumble strips seized my attention. Rehearsal time ended, abruptly. I was keenly aware of being off track and needing to get off the rumble strips. I swerved back into my traffic lane; back into safety. The rumble strips had become an ally. They warned me that I was heading into danger. They sent me a signal to change course and get back to safety.

Our negative feelings are like rumble strips, too. They are alerting us that our thoughts are pulling us away from joy, happiness, peace of mind. The message they deliver is that our natural state of being, joy and happiness, is diminishing. Our feelings may be a general uneasiness, like a yellow flashing caution light. Or, they may be intense and grab our attention, like an emergency vehicle siren screaming to clear the path. Whatever the intensity of our negative feelings, they are signaling us to change course and get back into joy’s traffic lane. They are an ally for our happiness.

Happiness has another ally: Laughter. There is an ever-expanding body of scientific evidence that shows the positive power of laughter to influence our emotions. For example, laughter is a whole-brain activity. When we’re laughing, we stimulate simultaneously both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. While laughing, we are shutting off our ability to think negative thoughts, so laughter creates respite for our brain.

Laughter also increases production of catecholamines, resulting in increased levels of alertness and memory. Laughter enhances our ability to think with greater clarity so we can make better choices. With laughter, we can turn off the negative thoughts and tap into an enhanced sense of well-being.

Not sure how to let laughter be your happiness ally? Here are some ways you can bring more laughter into your life:

• Look for the funny in everyday living. It may be a conversation you overhear. It may be a comic strip, movie, TV/radio commercial. It may be something your spouses, children, or pets do. There are acres of funny stuff all around you. Choose to look for it. When you see it, laugh!

• Be willing to laugh at yourself. If you make a mistake or feel like you’ve said something stupid, laugh! Weeks or years from now it’ll be a great tale you can share with others to stir up more laughter. Besides, when you laugh at yourself, it gives other people permission to be human around you, too. It helps to ease tension and build relationships.

• Participate in a laughter club session. Laughter clubs are cropping up in cities around the world. Check out www.worldlaughtertour.com to find a laughter club near you. It’s your opportunity to experience the healing power of laughter, without the use of jokes or humor.

Are you ready to stop slogging through a quagmire of negative feelings? The next time you sense your feelings getting ready to rumble, reach out to your happiness ally. Let laughter turn off the rumble of anger, resentment, criticism, and fear. Laugh, just laugh, and tap into your innate wellspring of joy.

Are you ready to rumble or to laugh?

C’mon, Let’s Laugh!