Posts tagged ‘31 days of writing’

Finding Laughter: Books Still on my Bookshelf (Day 30)

Finding Laughter 31 Days of writingWow – I cannot believe this 31 days of laughter is only one day from being done! And I am sad to say that I didn’t finish all that I wanted to finish. I can see that my Finding Laughter project is far from complete with books to read, Ted Talks to listen to, experiments to try.

 Yes, I still have books to read. This month was soooooo busy that I didn’t get to read all I wanted. I did read all the books for children though. So I am going to read the following  – no deadline this time.
EDITED TO ADD: It is now March 2016 and I have read all the below books except for the one by Carol Burnett. That is still on my list.

Your Turn . . . Are there any other books I should be reading? NOTE: I am making my way through the suggestions given here.

Related Posts from The Finding Laughter Series . . . 

I am joining 100’s of others at #write31days to write every day in October on a single topic. My topic is 31 Days of Finding Laughter. I will spend time each day studying laughter to see if I can improve my laughter quotient.

Go here for the landing page which has all the posts in one spot.

Read, learn, and discover with me what this world of laughter is all about and is it all that it’s cracked up to be. And be sure to leave a comment. Talking together will make for a richer, interactive experience for all of us.

 

. at . 6 comments

Finding Laughter: 15 Quotes (day 15)

Finding Laughter 31 Days of writingSome wisdom can be gained from reading quotes about laughter. And you might also chuckle. Here are some that made me chuckle or go aha!

HA HA HA

  1. And keep a sense of humor. It doesn’t mean you have to tell jokes. If you can’t think of anything else, when you’re my age, take off your clothes and walk in front of a mirror. I guarantee you’ll get a laugh. ~ Art Linkletter
  2. I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose. ~ Woody Allen
  3. On average, an infant laughs nearly two hundred times a day; an adult, only twelve. Maybe they are laughing so much because they are looking at us. ~ I Ching

Relationships

  1. Laughter connects you with people. It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy. ~John Cleese
  2. A good laugh is sunshine in the house. ~ William Thackeray
  3. Laughter has no foreign accent. ~ Paul Lowney

Self Care

  1. The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up. ~ Mark Twain
  2. I never would have made it if I could not have laughed. It lifted me momentarily out of this horrible situation, just enough to make it livable. ~ Viktor Frankl
  3. Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on. ~ Bob Newhart
  4. As soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul. ~ A Jewish Proverb
  5. An optimist laughs to forget; a pessimist forgets to laugh. ~ Tom Nansbury
  6. I believe that laughter is the best emotional Band-Aid in the world. It’s like nature’s Neosporin. ~ Matt LeBlanc
  7. Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects. ~ Arnold H. Glasow
  8. I try to find a reason to laugh each day. Somehow, if you can incorporate laughter into your day, every day, it really helps. It’s the little things in life that make me happy. ~ Faith Hill
  9. We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we are happy because we laugh. ~ William James

Your Turn . . . 

  • Which quote was your favourite one?
  • Do you have a laughter quote to share?

Related Posts . . . 

I am joining 100’s of others at #write31days to write every day in October 2015 on a single topic. My topic is 31 Days of Finding Laughter. I will spend time each day studying laughter to see if I can improve my laughter quotient.

Go here for the landing page which has all the posts in one spot.

Read, learn, and discover with me what this world of laughter is all about and is it all that it’s cracked up to be. And be sure to leave a comment. Talking together will make for a richer, interactive experience for all of us.

 

 

. at . 5 comments

Finding Laughter: Children and Laughter

Finding Laughter 31 Days of writing“A sense of laughter can be learned. Just as children learn qualities of kindness or persistence by example, so, too, do children learn about humor.

“They model themselves after the adults in their lives. Parents with good senses of humor often have children who enjoy humor and are funny themselves. Having a good sense of humor and recognizing and taking opportunities for laughing out loud help develop . . . 

  • good social skills,
  • pre-reading skills,
  • problem-solving techniques,
  • creativity,
  • and reasoning skills.” ~ Jackie Silberg

Silberg says, “Laughing increases learning and retention. Laughing stimulates both sides of the brain. People get the message quicker and remember it longer.”

The use of humor also helps develop bonds, strengthen relationships, and helps the child figure out what is acceptable and what isn’t.

Children think differently from adults. They find the absurd, nonsensical and out-of-the ordinary funny. I.e. rhyming words, nonsense syllables, and silly actions. Want some ideas? Silberg’s book, The Learning Power of Laughter, is a great resource. It offers over 300 playful games, activities, & ideas that promote learning with youngsters.

NOTE: I bought this book used from Amazon for $4.00. It will be a great resource to use with my toddler grand-daughter.

Help your child develop his/her sense of humor. Do this by listening to and appreciating their attempts even if it is nonsensical, too silly for your taste, unrelenting, or not expressed well. Joke back with them. Read funny stories to them. And try some of the exercises in Silberg’s book.

And check out the links below. They will also give you ideas on how to grow your child’s funny bone . . . and maybe your own.

BOOK RESOURCES

Henry Hyena, Why Won’t You Laugh? by Douglas Jantzen . . . This book shares how Henry learned there are different kinds of laughter and not all of them are appropriate.

“It’s not that you’re sick, and you’re far from a fool. You’ve just learned that laughing at others is cruel”, said the wise old giraffe.

Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved The President (And The Country) by Kathleen Krull & Paul Brewer . . . I did not know that President Lincoln was a jokester. He told silly stories, read funny books, and collected jokes and puns.

Lincoln lived a HARD life: impoverished as a child, not good-looking, insomnia, nightmares, failed romances  lost political races, and many enemies (because of his political views and frequent joking). He handled his hard life and the difficult people with his humour.

Any book by Laura Numeroff is funny. My favourite book is If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. Maybe because it is also a Christmas book and I collect Christmas books.

Here are a few others by Numeroff . . .  If You Give a Dog a Donut . . . If You Give a Cat a Cupcake . . . If You Give a Moose a Muffin . . . If You Give a Mouse a Cookie . . . If You Give a Pig a Pancake .

I’m Encouraged. This Jackie Silberg book was an encouragement to me; (she has written many other books as well). I started this post with her belief that children can learn to laugh. If children can, I imagine that adults can as well. So I take this as GOOD NEWS for me Finding Laughter.

Your Turn . . .

  • Do you have a child in your life that you want to help in their laughter learning? Or are you the one in need of help?
  • Is there something new you will do or continue to do because of reading this post?
  • As always, do share a resource (movie, book, anecdote, or joke). All are appreciated.

I am joining 100’s of others at #write31days to write every day in October 2015 on a single topic. My topic is 31 Days of Finding Laughter. I will spend time each day studying laughter to see if I can improve my laughter quotient.

Go here for the landing page which has all the posts in one spot.

Read, learn, and discover with me what this world of laughter is all about and is it all that it’s cracked up to be. And be sure to leave a comment. Talking together will make for a richer, interactive experience for all of us.

. at . 6 comments

Finding Laughter: Funny Halloween Movies (day 10)

Finding Laughter 31 Days of writingI discovered that laughter + scary can go together which is perfect for this month of #write31days. Halloween is 20 days away.  Here are seven funny Halloween movies that I found listed at Halloweenistic. Most of these videos are family friendly; therefore, I CAN watch them without getting freaked out or nightmares.

I have laughter dates with myself, where I find comics on YouTube and watch them. Louis C.K. was my first laughter date a couple years ago. I’ll also watch those videos of people doing idiotic things. That cracks me up. ~ Inga Muscio

I haven’t seen Gremlins, Once Bitten, or Shaun of the Dead. So I will have a laughter date or two before Halloween and watch the first 2.

Here are more family friendly Halloween movies listed by Nestled in the Woods. I don’t know if these are funny, though.

AS A SIDE NOTE: The couple writing Halloweenistic and the blogger at Nestled in the Woods are part of #write31days 2015 and writing on the theme of Halloween. Go check out their sites and leave a comment or two.

My video plan:

  1. Have you ever watched the series Friends? I used to sometimes watch it and I remember laughing. So I just ordered Seasons 1-3 (from the library). I am going to check them out to see if I still find them funny.
  2. I want to watch the following movies as well.

Your Turn . . . Do you have a suggestion for the funny, Halloween movie list? Or other movies?  . . .  What will you do for you next laughter date? . . .  How’s it going with your #write31days?

Related Posts . . . 

I am joining 100’s of others at #write31days to write every day in October on a single topic. My topic is 31 Days of Finding Laughter. I will spend time each day studying laughter to see if I can improve my laughter quotient.

Go here for the landing page which has all the posts in one spot.

Read, learn, and discover with me what this world of laughter is all about and is it all that it’s cracked up to be. And be sure to leave a comment. Talking together will make for a richer, interactive experience for all of us.

. at . 4 comments

Finding Laughter: What Does Norman Cousin’s Laughter Have to Do With Me? (Day 9)

Finding Laughter 31 Days of writingI credit Norman Cousins and Sofia (see day 8) for this topic. If a 20 month old appreciates humour and a fatally ill man heals himself with humour, then who am I to bypass this important topic?

I had heard about Normam’s recovery from a fatal illness by the use of laughter. So I decided I should read the book: Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient: Reflections on Healing and Regeneration. Norman’s story starts in 1964 with him coming down with Ankylosing Spondyliti:  a rare, painful, life-threatening, connective tissue disease which attacked his joints. Norman refused to accept his grim prognosis (of a few months to live).

So he forged ahead with an unusual plan. In addition to “laughter sessions,” Norman did two other things. He moved into a hotel near the hospital so that he could control his environment (quieter, less daily testing which impinged on his rest, more cheerful, better food) and he took mega doses of Vitamin C. 

It is the laughter treatment that most caught my attention. Regularly throughout the night, Norman would watch funny movies: Marx Brothers and Candid Camera. He discovered that inflammation and pain decreased after these “treatments.” Norman found that 10 minutes of belly laughter laughter yielded 2 hours of pain-free sleep. Finally Norman did recover from Ankylosing Spondyliti; passing away in 1990 (26 years after his initial diagnosis).

Quotes from Norman . . .

  • Laughter serves as a blocking agent. Like a bulletproof vest, it may help protect you against the ravages of negative emotions that can assault you in disease.
  • Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It moves your internal organs around. It enhances respiration. It is an igniter of great expectations.

Since reading this book, I have tried my own laughter treatments. I do believe in the effectiveness of laughter and a positive mindset/environment, BUT getting 10 minutes of continuous belly laughter day-after-day is TOUGH – at least for me.

  • I haven’t yet discovered a show or movie that consistently makes me laugh.
  • The laughter exercises (here and here) are more corny than mirth producing.
  • And laughing my way to work is fizzling because my “fake” laughter rarely turns real laughter and too often I get side-tracked and realize I am at work and I didn’t laugh my way there.

So as of Day 9, I am floundering

Your Turn . . . Do you have a suggestion for a show or movie? Or any other suggestions?

Related Internet Resources . . . 

I am joining 100’s of others at #write31days to write every day in October on a single topic. My topic is 31 Days of Finding Laughter. I will spend time each day studying laughter to see if I can improve my laughter quotient.

Go here for the landing page which has all the posts in one spot.

Read, learn, and discover with me what this world of laughter is all about and is it all that it’s cracked up to be. And be sure to leave a comment. Talking together will make for a richer, interactive experience for all of us.

 

 

. at . 8 comments

Finding Laughter: Introduction & My Plan (Day 1)

Finding Laughter 31 Days of writingI am not easily amused. I fall between Eeyore and Tigger – in truth closer to Eeyore. So it is no surprise that I am not funny either. And when I do say something funny (quite accidentally) I have no understanding of HOW I did that.

But I am drawn to folks who are funny. Like my friend Lorna makes me laugh – a lot! I wish I had a tape recorder so that I could relisten to her words because unfortunately I always forget what it is that we laughed about.

I know there are tons of benefits from laughter. Okay, maybe only 10 or so reasons. But that is still enough reasons for me to want to learn more and actually laugh more. These next 31 days I will . . .

  • investigate
  • read
  • watch
  • interview, and
  • hopefully end up laughing a whole lot more this month.

If you are laughter challenged too, follow along and maybe you too will add more laughter and its benefits to your life this October.

MY PLAN

  1. Listen to TED Talks. I will listen to at least one talk each day and report on anything I find useful. I have 50 talks on my list.
  2. Read books and articles. I have about 15 books to look through. But that is not even 1/4th of what’s out there. Again I will report on anything I find useful.
  3. Laugh 10 minutes a day. If Norman Cousins was able to cure his cancer and reduce pain by laughing 10 minutes a day, then 10 minutes a day might help me – maybe even with my diabetes and hip pain. I will read jokes, funny stories and/or watch something humorous. every day.
  4. Assess  bodily responses. I want to come up with an assessment plan to see how/if laughter is impacting my body, mind and emotions.
  5. Crank up my funny bone. Will I end up laughing more by the end of the month than I do now? My hope and goal is “YES.”
  6. I reserve the right to tweek this plan to fit in with my research, time, and evolving interests.

During this month of October I am joining LOTS of bloggers who will be writing every day about a topic. My topic is about finding laughter. I will spend time each day studying laughter to see if I can improve my laughter quotient.

Go here for the landing page which has all the posts in one spot.

Read, learn, and discover with me what this world of laughter is all about and is it all that it’s cracked up to be.

And be sure to leave a comment. Talking together will make for a richer, interactive experience for all of us.

Your Turn . . .

  • Are you an Eeeyore or a Tigger?
  • Do you think it is important to laugh every day? Why or why not?
  • Do you laugh easily and often? If yes, what is your secret?
  • If no, do you wish that you did?

Related Posts . . . I have written on laughter before. here are those posts.

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31 Days of Writing 2015 – Finding Laughter Landing Page

Finding Laughter 31 Days of writingGo here to read what the 31 Days of Writing is all about.

Along with 100’s  of others I plan on writing every day in October 2015 on a single topic. My topic is 31 Days of Finding Laughter. I will spend time each day studying laughter to see if I can improve my laughter quotient.

Read, learn, and discover with me what this world of laughter is all about and is it all that it’s cracked up to be.

31 Posts for October, 2015. They will be added and/or hot-linked as they go live.

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31 Days of Finishing – Day 31: Do the Scary Thing

Day 30 - Making certain phone calls is a scary thing for me. But when I do finish that call the relief is palbable and sometimes there is even a great result to making that call.

Day 31 – Making certain phone calls is a scary thing for me. But when I do finish that call the relief is palpable and sometimes there is even a great result to making that call. I always feel energized afterwards!

What “scary” things do you have on your secondary to-do list? I have several of them and they’ve been there for a l…o…n…g… time. Why? Because they are scary to even think about doing.

Sometimes I let fear make my decisions for me. And when that happens I don’t feel so good about myself. But today, I took charge of my fear. I told myself even if it is a bad outcome, I am going to tackle ‘THIS” to-do item today.

I made a phone call and then followed up with an email. HURRAY, me! I took action.

Moral of the story? The total time was less than 31 minutes. But the benefits to that call will be great. I feel proud of my action. This action reinforces the idea that I CAN do hard things. And I feel energized to tackle another hard thing today.

I did. I made two hard phone calls today! The 2nd one didn’t turn out so well. But I am proud I took care of it. The feeling of finished is much better (imho) than the feeling of dread.

And I am finished with this series. The feeling of finished is definitely awesome!

During this month of October I am joining LOTS of bloggers hosted by The Nester who will be writing every day about a topic. My topic is about finishing. I will spend 31 minutes each day on a to-do item (from the secondary list).

I will write about it and share any productivity tips I find helpful to FINISHING things.

Go here for the Landing Page with all the posts (which go live as they are written). The list is towards the bottom of the page.

Your Turn . . .

  • What scary things do you have on your list?
  • How do you feel when you don’t do the scary to-do’s? How do you feel when you do them?
  • Can you make traction on one of them today?
  • How’s your secondary to-do list coming along?

Related Posts . . . 

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31 Days of Finishing – Day 3O: Tackle Paper Piles

Day 30 - What do your piles of paper look like? Mine are NOT organized like the one in this photo. And today I tackled the messy mounds at my home.

Day 30 – What do your piles of paper look like? Mine are NOT organized like the ones in this photo. But today I tackled the messy mounds at my home.

Paper! Stacks of paper everywhere. Where do all these piles of paper come from? Do you deal with this too?

Ugh! It is an unending battle. These piles certainly detract from the organized look. And looking at them reminds me of something I have to do. Double ugh!!

Today, I took my 31 minutes to sort.

Moral of the story? 31 minutes is more than enough time to sort these piles of mess into something doable. I put some to-do actions on one of the lists on my phone. I LIKE the look of tidy. And I feel energized.

Sometimes I use the resulting energy (of finishing something that’s been on the list for a long time) for practical good. Today I will use it for emotional good.

I think I will use this energy to read. Yep! No more tedious or messy mounds to master for today.

During this month of October I am joining LOTS of bloggers hosted by The Nester who will be writing every day about a topic. My topic is about finishing. I will spend 31 minutes each day on a to-do item (from the secondary list).

I will write about it and share any productivity tips I find helpful to FINISHING things.

Go here for the Landing Page with all the posts (which go live as they are written). The list is towards the bottom of the page.

Your Turn . . .

  • Do you have messy mounds or are you too tidy for that?
  • What is the secret to NOT having these take over the flat surfaces in the home?
  • What is the most surprising thing you’ve found in one of your piles?
  • What did you do with your 31 minutes of finishing today?

Related Posts . . .  

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31 Days of Finishing – Day 29: Get Creative

Day 29 - Getting creative always improves my mood and gives me more energy. This in turn makes me more productive at work and home. How do you recharge?

Day 29 – Getting creative always improves my mood and gives me more energy. This in turn makes me more productive at work and home. How do you recharge?

What creative items do you have on your secondary to-do list? Why don’t you make it a priority to get them done?

I really enjoy creating. It (almost) always gives me a lift like I’ve just had an emotional massage. However like many of us, I let my busy life high-jack my emotional needs. I sacrifice creating on the altar of “getting things done” or “mis-managed prioritizes.”

Moral of the story? My emotional well-being & energy level suffer when I don’t do creative things. When I neglect the following my life becomes burdensome: puffy paint, writing utensils, music, mod podge, books, or my camera.

So today’s 31 minutes involved a book and mod podge. Colour me happy. (or maybe mod podge me happy!)

I get irritated with book covers. I always take them off. Then I lose them. Or the cover gets crinkled which irritates me even more.

Today I decided to mod podge the book cover onto the book. The book, Hind’s Feet on High Places is one I received from a friend, Ann, in 1980. I’ve read it many times, And each time I thin out my book collection, this book is never in jeopardy of going to the Goodwill.

In fact, I will put reading this book onto my to-do list since I am reading classics the rest of this year. I didn’t tell myself I couldn’t re-read one of them.

Ahhhhh! I love a good “emotional massage.” You?

During this month of October I am joining LOTS of bloggers hosted by The Nester who will be writing every day about a topic. My topic is about finishing. I will spend 31 minutes each day on a to-do item (from the secondary list).

I will write about it and share any productivity tips I find helpful to FINISHING things.

Go here for the Landing Page with all the posts (which go live as they are written). The list is towards the bottom of the page.

Your Turn . . .

  • When was the last time you had an “emotional massage”?
  • Does being creative help or frustrate you more?
  • What creative item could you do that will give you more energy to do something you HAVE to do?
  • How’s it going with your secondary to-do list?

Related Posts . . . 

. at . 3 comments

31 Days of Finishing – Day 28: Do it for Charity

Day 28 - I celebrated my recent weight loss by cutting my long hair. I am donating it to Locks of Love.

Day 28 – I celebrated my recent weight loss by cutting my hair. I donated the two pony tails to Locks of Love.

What is the longest you’ve ever grown your hair? Did you purposefully grow it long?

Until now my hair was almost down to my waist (in the back). And I accidentally grew it out. I got behind on my haircuts.

And then 7 months ago I radically changed my diet and started eating better. As a result, my hair started growing much faster.

Note: I was diagnosed with diabetes.

It has been fun putting my hair up like I am a character from a Jane Eyre book. But it wasn’t fun dyeing all that hair. And I’ve heard that a lady after a certain age just shouldn’t have long hair. Plus I think I do look better in shorter hair.

So I decided I would cut it when I got down to a certain weight. I am there. Time to celebrate.

Moral of the story? Whenever possible expand the celebration. I did this by getting my haircut today and donating it to Locks of Love.

I even got a different style. I think I like it. If not, it will grow and/or I can get a style more to my liking.

During this month of October I am joining LOTS of bloggers hosted by The Nester who will be writing every day about a topic. My topic is about finishing. I will spend 31 minutes each day on a to-do item (from the secondary list).

I will write about it and share any productivity tips I find helpful to FINISHING things.

Go here for the Landing Page with all the posts (which go live as they are written). The list is towards the bottom of the page.

Your Turn . . .

  • Have you ever had a drastic haircut? What did you think afterwards?
  • Is there something you need/want to do from your to-do list that if you did it could benefit others?
  • What is the last thing you’ve done from your secondary to-do list?

Related Posts . . . 

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31 Days of Finishing – Day 27: Help Someone Else

Day 27 - akldj aklsdhlkasd ajhd sjhf8e kejrhjekwrh

Day 27 – I helped my daughter with something from her to-do list – “Put photos into grandpa’s album.”  I realized that doing this one night of “help” sparked an interest in me to share my story.

“Mom, don’t you want to help me with Grandpa’s book? You can put these photos in.”

Now when your daughter who is doing so much better from a concussion asks you to help her with a project (the 1st she’s done in 4 weeks), it is hard to say, “No.”

My daughter is researching our family history. She started with my Dad’s side because there are more “knowns” about the immediate lineage. But she had me look up something about my mom’s side before putting photos into the scrapbook about my dad.

An hour later I sigh these words, “You know when I play Spider Solitaire, if they never let me win, I quit.” I am close to quitting now.”

But then the next search led to a gold mine. And now I have some information about my mom’s people. They were shoemakers and furniture builders. Many died way too young. I only got back to the 1880’s, but I feel closer to my mom (who passed away in 2001) knowing these few facts.

And I wish I knew their stories. Stories that would flesh out these few facts.

Moral of the story? Now I am hooked. I am hooked on finding out who the people are that came before me, and my mom, and my grandma, and great grandma. I want facts to go with the limited stories that I do know. I want to figure out my connection to these people.

And I realize that while helping my daughter, I am now keen to do something on my to-do list – “Write MY family history.” 

For many years I’ve thought it not too important to document my life because I am not that important. But in the scheme of things a furniture maker is not that “important” either. Perhaps this is true for “the world,” but it is not true for me. I want to know.

And someday my story will be important to others.

During this month of October I am joining LOTS of bloggers hosted by The Nester who will be writing every day about a topic. My topic is about finishing. I will spend 31 minutes each day on a to-do item (from the secondary list).

I will write about it and share any productivity tips I find helpful to FINISHING things.

Go here for the Landing Page with all the posts (which go live as they are written). The list is towards the bottom of the page.

Your Turn . . .

  • While helping someone else with a to-do item, has it sparked a similar interest in you? If yes, please share.
  • Do you think it is important to share your story?
  • Are you interested in knowing about the lives of your ancestors?
  • How’s it going with crossing off things on your secondary to-do list? What motivates you to get things done?

Related Post . . .  

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