Echoes of happiness

[Guest guest]

Echoes of Happiness

 

As children, we laugh hundreds of times each day, delighted by the newness of

living. When we reach adulthood, however, we tend to not allow ourselves to let

go in a good belly laugh. Inviting laughter back into our lives is simply a

matter of making the conscious decision to laugh. Though most of us are incited

to laugh only when exposed to humor or the unexpected, each of us is capable of

laughing at will. A laugh that comes from the belly carries with it the same

positive effects whether prompted by a funny joke or consciously willed into

existence. When our laughter comes from the core of our being, it permeates

every cell in our physical selves, beginning in the center and radiating

outward, until we are not merely belly laughing but rather body laughing.

 

Laughter has been a part of the human mode of ex-pression since before evolution

granted us the art of speech. Through it, we connected with allies while

demonstrating our connection with people we didn't know. In the present,

laughter allows us to enjoy positive shared experiences with strangers and loved

ones alike. Yet solitary laughter carries with it its own slew of benefits. An

energetic and enthusiastic bout of whole-body laughter exercises the muscles,

the lungs, and the mind in equal measure, leaving us feeling relaxed and

content. When we laugh heartily at life's ridiculousness instead of responding

irritably, our focus shifts. Anger, stress, guilt, and sadness no longer wield

any influence over us, and we are empowered to make light of what we originally

feared. Laughter also opens our hearts, letting love and light in, changing our

perspective, and enabling us to fix our attention on what is positive in our

lives.

 

It is easy to laugh when we feel good, but it is when the world appears dim that

we most need laughter in our lives. Our laughter then resonates through our

hearts, filling the empty spaces with pure, unadulterated joy. We regain our

footing in the moment and remember that no sorrow is powerful enough to rob us

of our inborn happiness. When we understand that uninhibited laughter is the

food of the soul, nourishing us from within, we know instinctively that life is

worthwhile.