Laughter is Good Medicine

There will be a lot of humor in this blog for two reasons. First, humor gives a fresh perspective and an opportunity to change by shifting consciousness from the linear, logical, left brain to the non-linear, spontaneous, creative right brain. Second, humor and laughter are healthy.

Laughter is good medicine. It's like aerobic cardiovascular exercise benefiting the heart, circulation and blood pressure. A ten or fifteen minute daily dose of humor and laughter is almost the same as a thirty minute run. It's an attitude adjustment without the hangover. Laughter is contagious, not only will you benefit, but so will those around you.

Lighten up and look for opportunities to laugh with life. Do you know why angels fly? Because they take themselves so lightly.

Think of laughter as inner jogging; it helps support the healthy levels of endorphins that build happiness, fight anxiety and fortify the immune response, including the natural killer cells that fight cancer. All of this free of the side effects you hear about on those TV medicine commercials, that are often worse than the disease.

A woman walks into a bar, sits down, orders a drink and while she's waiting, eats some nuts. A high shrill voice says, "Nice legs!" She whips her head around but no one else is nearby. She eats a few more nuts and the same voice says, "Nice stockings!" Again, she looks around and there's no one there. The bartender comes with her drink. "You know," she says to him, "I heard a voice telling me nice legs and nice stockings, but there's no one else here." "Oh," says the bartender. "That was the nuts, they're complimentary."

Is PC the Best Way to Celebrate Both Our Diversity and Our Unity?

American society and each of us as members of it have a number of wonderful opportunities. One of them, how to respect individual differences and still function as a single nation, community, team or organization is highlighted this time of year and in the following 'joke.' It's funny and sad and left me, as I hope it does you, wondering how we can celebrate both our diversity and our unity without being forced into rediculous extremes. It's not easy, but it is an opportunity.

Sent: Wed, December 16, 2009 6:35:53 PM
Subject: FUNNY, SAD AND TRUE


Company Memo
________________________________
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: October 1, 2009
RE: Gala Christmas Party
I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23rd, starting at noon in the private function room at the Grill House. There will be a cash bar and plenty of drinks! We'll have a small band playing traditional carols... feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus! A Christmas tree will be lit at 1:00 PM. Exchanges of gifts among employees can be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone's pockets. This gathering is only for employees!
Our CEO will make a special announcement at that time!
Merry Christmas to you and your family,
Patty
Company Memo
________________________________
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: October 2, 2009
RE: Gala Holiday Party
In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Hanukkah is an important holiday, which often coincides with Christmas, though unfortunately not this year. However, from now on, we're calling it our "Holiday Party." The same policy applies to any other employees who are not Christians and to those still celebrating Reconciliation Day. There will be no Christmas tree and no Christmas carols will be sung. We will have other types of music for your enjoyment.
Happy now?
Happy Holidays to you and your family,
Patty
Company Memo
________________________________
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: October 5, 2009
RE: Holiday Party
Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table, you didn't sign your name. I'm happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, "AA Only", you wouldn't be anonymous anymore. How am I supposed to handle this?
Somebody?
And sorry, but forget about the gift exchange, no gifts are allowed since the union members feel that $10.00 is too much money and the executives believe $10.00 is a little chintzy.
REMEMBER: NO GIFTS EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED.
Patty
Company Memo
________________________________
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
To: All Employees
DATE: October 6, 2009
RE: Generic Holiday Party
What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20th begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during daylight hours.. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees' beliefs Perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party or else package everything for you to take it home in little foil doggy baggy. Will that work?
Meanwhile, I've arranged for members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from the dessert buffet, and pregnant women will get the table closest to the restrooms.
Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with Gay men, each group will have their own table.
Yes, there will be flower arrangement for the Gay men's table.
To the person asking permission to cross dress, the Grill House asks that no cross-dressing be allowed, apparently because of concerns about confusion in the restrooms. Sorry.
We will have booster seats for short people.
Low-fat food will be available for those on a diet.
I am sorry to report that we cannot control the amount of salt used in the food . The Grill House suggests that people with high blood pressure taste a bite first.
There will be fresh "low sugar" fruits as dessert for diabetics, but the restaurant cannot supply "no sugar" desserts. Sorry!
Did I miss anything?!?!?
Patty
Company Memo
________________________________
FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All F*%^ing Employees
DATE: October 7, 2009
RE: The F*%^ing Holiday Party
I've had it with you vegetarian pr*cks!!! We're going to keep this party at the Grill House whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest from the "grill of death," as you so quaintly put it, and you'll get your f*%^ing salad bar, including organic tomatoes.. But you know, tomatoes have feelings, too. They scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream. I'm hearing them scream right NOW!
The rest of you f*%^ing wierdos can kiss my *ss. I hope you all have a rotten holiday!
Drive drunk and die,
The B*tch from H*ll!!!
Company Memo
________________________________
FROM: Joan Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director
DATE: October 8, 2009
RE: Patty Lewis and Holiday Party
I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery from the institution and I'll continue to forward your cards to her.
In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay.
Happy Holidays!
Joan

Active Listening - Part I of III

Active Listening
Think back to those few friends, mentors, counselors, or
family members who have had the biggest impact on you. How would
you characterize the communication between you? Was it helpful,
meaningful, telepathic, or inspirational?

In one-to-one relationships with someone who knows us well, we
are often in such complete synchronization that communication flows
between us almost without words. Or so we feel. If this is the
case, is it because we excel at expressing ourselves, or because we
are masters of listening? Naturally, both are important, but, to
turn a phrase, talk is cheap and listening is rare.

Chances are that those who influence us most are powerful lis-
teners. Whether instinctively or through practice, they have
developed the skill of empathy.

A University of Maine researcher, Dr. Marisue Pickering, iden-
tifies four characteristics of empathetic listeners:

l. Desire to be other-directed, rather than to project one's own
feelings and ideas onto the other.

2. Desire to be non-defensive, rather than to protect the self.
When the self is being protected, it is difficult to focus on
another person.

3. Desire to imagine the roles, perspectives, or experiences of the
other, rather than assuming they are the same as one's own.

4. Desire to listen as a receiver, not as a critic, and desire to
understand the other person rather than to achieve either agreement
from or change in that person.

Further, she identifies ten discrete skills for empathetic
listening, shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Skills Associated with Empathy

SKILLS EXPLANATION
1. Attending, acknowledging 1. Providing verbal or non-
verbal awareness of the
other, ie, eye contact

2. Restating, paraphrasing 2. Responding to person's
basic verbal message


3. Reflecting 3. Reflecting feelings,
experiences, or content
that has been heard or
perceived through cues

4. Interpreting 4. Offering a tentative
interpretation about the
other's feelings, desires,
or meanings

5. Summarizing, synthesizing 5. Bringing together in some
way feelings and
experiences; providing
a focus

6. Probing 6. Questioning in a supportive
way that requests more
information or that
attempts to clear up
confusions

7. Giving feedback 7. Sharing perceptions of the
other's ideas or feelings;
disclosing relevant
personal information

8. Supporting 8. Showing warmth and caring in
one's own individual way

9. Checking perceptions 9. Finding out if interpre-
tations and perceptions
are valid and accurate

10. Being quiet 10. Giving the other time to
think as well as to talk

SOURCE: Pickering, Marisue, "Communication" in EXPLORATIONS, A
Journal of Research of the University of Maine, Vol. 3, No. 1, Fall
1986, pp 16-19.


These skills, like those of self-expression, can be learned,
practiced, and mastered. Our society places much more attention on
the spoken side of the communication equation, but if you think
about who influences you, are they good talkers or good listeners?

As we come to understand ourselves and our relationships with
others better, we rediscover that "communication is not just saying
words; it is creating true understanding." Active listening is an
important skill in that process.

Stress Management

Managing Stress with Exercise for People Who Hate Exercise

Need exercise but not into riding a bike, swimming, or playing tennis? Here’s some ways to burn calories each hour – painlessly.

Activity Calories


Beating around the bush 75

Jumping to conclusions 100

Climbing the walls 150

Passing the buck 25

Throwing your weight around 200

Dragging your feet 100

Digging in your heels 75

Wading through paperwork 300

Running around in circles 200

Making mountains out of molehills 500

Little Girl on a Plane

LITTLE GIRL ON A PLANE

A Congressman was seated next to a little girl on the
airplane when he turned to her and said, 'Let's talk. I've heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.'

The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to the total stranger, 'What would you like to talk about?'

'Oh, I don't know,' said the congressman. 'How about global warming or universal health care', and he smiles smugly.

OK, ' she said. 'Those could be interesting topics. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?'

The legislator, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, 'Hmmm, I have no idea.'

To which the little girl replies, 'Do you really feel qualified to discuss global warming or universal health care when you don't know shit?

The Pain Pushes Until the Vision Pullus

I heard Michael Beckwith say, "The pain pushes until the vision pulls," at Assilomar in l992. The concept was a seed that is still growing and blossoming, still baring fruit. Think about it, let it germinate inside you - the pain pushes until the vision pulls; it's an invitation to let your passion and heart's desire pull you forward, instead of struggling and working from a place of duty, fear, responsibility, obligation and should. What would life be like if you were pulled forward instead of pushed?

This blog is a place to explore that idea and support one another as we try to put it to work in our lives, workplaces, families and communities.

Please check out my related blog - Spunky, Gritty and Stout-Hearted.