Monday, January 19, 2009

Laughter is the best medicine


My grandfather was one of the most positive influences in my life as a small child. He passed on before my eleventh birthday. He believed that Laughter is always the best medicine.

My Grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and heart disease and spent his last few weeks in a small bedroom with an oxygen tank. Next to his bed on the floor, a stack as tall as me was issues of Readers Digest magazine. I spent every afternoon and weekend sitting on the floor next to that stack of magazines reading to my Grandfather from its pages of Laughter is the Best Medicine, Life in the United States, and all the other amusing anecdotes. We would laugh together and he told me how much better he was able to breathe after exercising his lungs with laughter.

Norman Cousins is renowned for the incredible healing power of laughter in his life which he wrote about in his book Anatomy of an Illness. He discovered that when he laughed boisterously at the comedy films that he had selected, he was able to stimulate chemicals in his body that alleviated his physical pain and stimulated healing.

Science News reported recently that employees reported higher job satisfaction when they work for someone who was more humor-oriented and used humor effectively and appropriately.

Many years ago, people were institutionalized for too much laughter. Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams believes that silliness is a virtue. He is the founder of the Gesundheit Clinic; a clinic which deals with their patients with humor and play, which they see as essential to physical and emotional health healing.

Laughter can make a bleak situation appear more tolerable and clear the energy for creative thinking. Many people have found that humor is an effective way to deal with stress. It doesn't mean that the situation is funny, or not to be taken seriously. Humor releases endorphins that can assit you in working with or moving through a difficult situation.

How much better do you feel about anything in your life, after you have had a great belly laugh. (Except my friend who just had tummy surgery, but she’ll make up for it soon)

I’m very picky about what will prompt me to laughter. I love jokes, parodies, skits and sitcoms which are clever enough in words and actions to surprise me to laughter without having to resort to any racial, gender, political or personal attacks or putdowns. Americas funny home videos, at times, is one of my favorite shows, however, I cannot understand why a man being hit painfully in the groin is considered funny.

One of my all time favorite funny skits was seen on the Carol Burnett show. Yes, I’m aging myself as I let you know that I saw this when it was first telecast. Now you can see it on the internet.

In this Gone With the Wind parody ("Went With the Wind") a broke Scarlett O'Hara (Carol Burnett) tears the curtains off Tara's windows to create a dress, as you may remember Scarlett did in the book and epic film. However, instead of emerging in the iconic green velvet grown, she descends the stairs wearing the curtains intact — complete with a curtain rod thrown over her shoulders doubling as shoulder pads, and the tassel from the tie back as a hat.

What created the laughter was the total surprise of this moment. Even Carol Burnett reported that the crew and her fellow actors did not have a clue about her and Bob Mackie’s plan until the second she appeared at the top of the stairs. One of the longest laughs in TV history was created because it was not what we expected, it was better.

Please share your joy. I invite you to share your favorite funny so we can all enjoy a good laugh.

P.S. And yes, I still read the jokes in Readers Digest and I still laugh and I know my Grandfather is still laughing with me.

"We must also be careful to avoid ingesting toxins in the form of violent TV programs, video games, movies, magazines, and books. When we watch that kind of violence, we water our own negative seeds, or tendencies, and eventually we will think and act out of those seeds."~ Thich Nhat Hahn ~
Visit Movies with Message

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Ambition To Meaning

A Life-Changing Film from Dr. Wayne W. Dyer!

Dear Friends,

I've just completed one of my life's great experiences and I invite you to share it! Making my first movie at age 68 was an unexpected gift from the Universe that filled me with wonder and amazement. Ambition to Meaning: Finding Your Life's Purpose has given me the opportunity to marvel at the limitless power of the human spirit to discover and rediscover all that we can be.

Never underestimate the power of great natural beauty to bring you inspiration, peace of mind, and clarity of thought. Ambition to Meaning was filmed at Asilomar, "refuge by the sea," on the breathtaking Monterey Peninsula of California's central coast, a landscape of mist and pines and pounding surf. In nature, you find yourself. The characters in our story discover a new path for themselves that too much focus on success, competition, and worldly concern almost made them miss. They find the music within that gives life real worth.

This movie touches me profoundly and I'm prouder of it than of anything I've done before. Which goes to show that you are never too old to learn and grow and look in awe at the teaching power of the Universe. From the kite fluttering in the wind above to the sand between your toes, there is wonder to be found in every moment. Move with me from Ambition to Meaning and begin enjoying your life as never before!

Namaste,

Wayne


Ambition to Meaning was directed by the
wonderfully talented Emmy award winner
Michael Goorjian. The movie features a
fine ensemble cast of seasoned actors in
addition to Dr. Wayne Dyer: (in alpha order)
Molly Bryant, Michael DeLuise, Portia de Rossi,
Don Franklin, Ron Garcia, Ed Kerr, Ethan Lipton,
Ron Marasco, Maury Sterling, and Shannon Sturges.
Look for a surprise cameo appearance by
Louise L. Hay in this heartwarming film about finding
your bliss!



Ambition to Meaning is available in two versions:
Standard and Deluxe.

The Deluxe version includes the following bonus material:
(1) Two music videos
(2) Interview with Wayne Dyer in Maui about Ambition to Meaning
(3) Fireside talk with Wayne Dyer telling stories about his life and family
(4) Michael Goorjian, the film director, talking about making the movie
(5) Extra material of Wayne being interviewed on the movie set




This announcement was sponsored by Sumner M. Davenport



Friday, January 2, 2009

May you be validated everyday



This video was created by an online friend of mine.

Be sure to visit her profile and see more of what she has to offer:
http://jasonsnetwork.com/Cherokee

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Wow, 2008 went fast , didn't it!

How did you do?

Each year people have a reaction to the transition of one year to the next. Some people are happy with their results. Others want something to change. Some people exceeded their goals and are excited for their next results. Others are struggling to make ends meet, find love, drop those extra pounds. Some will be glad the year is over. Some will end the year with regrets.

What does 2009 hold for you? Will it be more of the same or are you looking for a change? Even those who are happy with their results in 2008, many would still like something new or a change in something in the coming year.New Years Eve is the re-start of many old habits.


Millions of people will voice new years resolutions in one night, and within the week over 75% will have broken them. Some people know they will never meet their resolutions but a small flicker of wishing and hoping that this year will be different motivates them to say them anyway.
2009 can be your best year ever ! Great tips and free downloads are here to get you started.

Tip #1:

Don't make New Years resolutions this year. Make your acknowledgment list instead.

Studies show that for a sales person, the best time to make a sale is right after you made one. The best time to create another success in your life, is right after you have just experienced one.

Why is that? It is because your energy is now focused on success, feeling good about what you just accomplished and you are feeling a "success high". So then it would make sense that the most difficult time to set new goals or resolutions is when you are not feeling confident, not feeling proud of your accomplishments or not feeling successful. Yet this lack of success is what most people are feeling when they set New Year resolutions. This seems to be one answer to the question as to why over 75% of people give up on their new resolutions after only a couple of weeks. Start your New Year with a "success high" and propel your self towards greater success in 2009. Start by NOT making New Years resolutions this year and making an acknowledgment list instead.

"The more you focus on and list your accomplishments,
the more accomplishments you will recognize." ~ Brenda Stuart ~



Click here to download a free copy
of Acknowledgment Journal Sheets






Tip #2

Write your list with what you are happy you did, are proud of yourself for or something you accomplished this past year.

Then do something else with this list. We are so conditioned by society that we must have more; that more is better. We rush to make our lists longer, and in the process we lose the depth. Rather than quickly writing a list (usually by habit), and putting it away, choose one item from your list– and really take all the time to feel all of the joy and passion that is connected to and within it.

Feel and seek to understand WHY this is important to you, why you are proud of yourself, why this accomplishment is a milestone or a success for you. Stay with that one item all day. Think about it, feel it, understand your reasons for acknowledging yourself for it.

The next day choose another one from your list. Get to know the deepest parts of yourself through your choices of self acknowledgement.

What is your ONE today?