Laugh it Up - Laughter is Therapy

It is a known fact that laughter can help make a person's life better, and elminate stress.  I can recall a Bugs Bunny cartoon way back in my childhood, where the closing remark was a very profound statement by Bugs:  Don't take life too seriously.  You'll never get out of it alive.  Yeah, I know eventually, none of us get out of it alive, but it is certainly more fun, and better for our health if we can laugh every chance we get.  And who doesn't want to live as long as we can?

If you're looking for reasons to laugh, they are innumerable.  It might surprise some of the overly-solemn people I know to believe this, but there is also stimulus for laughter all around us.  My personal credo is:  If you can't laugh at yourself, make fun of other people.  No, I'm really just kidding.  I don't make fun of other people, just my in-laws, and I don't count them as "people" because they're relatives.  And, my relatives and close family give me more reasons to laugh than any comedian, or anything I can think of, so I am lucky...I guess.  

One of the great things about life is all the funny things that are free, like watching children play, watching animals-they're natural comedians and don't even know it; Even watching people can be amusing.  The next time you go to the mall or the grocery center, if you have some extra time, just sit and observe what your fellow man is doing-you might be surprised.  Never give up on a chance to find humor in anything.  I'm not saying to go out and make fun of other people, but if you can find anything or any reason in your day to get an extra smile, it's well worth it.  

What are some of the healthy benefits of laughter?  Studies have shown it can jump-start your immune system.  A good belly laugh produces positive emotions that have the opposite effect of classical stress.  Endorphins, our natural painkillers, are released from the brain, producing a sense of well-being.