Brad Montgomery, Motivational Speaker

by Dr. Joseph Michelli

Some fortunate children are exposed to adults who know the constructive value of a well-placed misdirection or exaggeration, while others are subjected to often joyless, overly serious adults.

I have been lecturing nationally for a number of years on the use of humor in a variety of different situations. During these presentations, I typically teach humor skills and the value of humor in handling difficult people at work, managing change and improving immune functioning or overall health.

During this time, I also have privately experimented with the role humor plays in raising children. These experiments have been conducted on my resident laboratory animals, Andrew (6) and Fiona (2-1/2).

In 1996, I had the good fortune of meeting Jim Fay, who was a guest on my nationally syndicated radio show, Wishing You Well. Jim’s wisdom and clarity about parenting were paralleled by his heartwarming stories.

During the interview, Jim’s reflections on parenting frequently were witty and light- hearted. He seemed to suggest that adults can avoid overreacting to the “crisis du jour” by gaining distance through humor. This radio interview led to other conversations about humor and parenting and ultimately to a new book from the Love and Logic Press entitled Humor, (Continue Reading…)

Play is the essence of humor

by Dan Gascon

“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”

Eddie Cantor

Play is the highest, most important function in determining and maintaining your sense of humor. Just look at it’s definition: Play (Amuse oneself; take part in a game; behave without care or worry; trifle; act the part of; perform; move with light and irregular motions.) Play is something you can never outgrow, it has no age, race, or moral exclusions. It is a quintessential human need that is often the most forgotten self-help technique. It is the perfect companion of delight and bliss.

Play is one of the best ways to retain and learn. It improves the quality of life, breeds creativity, spontaneity, invention and originality. Play strips away barriers, making us real. It provides a greater avenue of expression than just words and allows all people to define themselves. Play mobilizes our energy to lift us out of guilt, despair and sorrow. Play requires us to lose our fear of being rejected or wrong, works through unresolved problems and releases negative energy. Play promotes (Continue Reading…)

Keys to telling jokes

by Dan Gascon

The classic art of telling a joke is as old as the spoken word. Like music, it is a universal language. Jokes can be a very powerful force because by nature, they are two-sided. Jokes can bond or separate, heal or destroy, and be a vehicle for love or hatred. You must be aware. One can never say, It’s just a joke. There is always a meaning behind any jest, and by telling it or participating in it, you are choosing to endorse whatever that joke is representing. There are four things you need to understand in order to successfully tell or participate in any joke.

The 4 Keys to Telling Jokes

1. Know your audience.

Literally look and make a check of exactly who you are among. What’s their age, background, beliefs and likely personal tastes?

2. Know what is appropriate.

What is acceptable in content, language and situation in order not to be offensive. Again, know your audience.

3. Know when to proceed.

Picking the right moment or timing can make or break it. It comes easy with observation, self-trust and practice.

4. Accept that sometimes the joke isn’t told well.

Everyone has experienced nerves, memory loss, or used bad judgement to (Continue Reading…)

Illness is a laughing matter

by Dan Gascon

Many of us sometimes feel that when we are physically sick that the illness is in control of us. We feel we must also appear downtrodden, troubled, immobile and not in good spirits. Sadly, when it involves someone else, there can be a tendency to shy away from them. Your sense of humor allows you to choose, think, and be otherwise.

“Humor gives us freedom to act. Patients can be so paralyzed by conflicts and self-imposed restrictions that they forget that they are free to act to change their circumstances.”
Dr. Weeled A. Salameh

Humor can be used as a medication to soothe, defer and alleviate. It improves moods, boosts immune systems, lowers blood pressure and speeds recovery time. It copes with anything, even the challenge of a hospital stay or just going for medical attention. It is an essential tool that is common with doctor, nurse and patient alike.

“Let the surgeon take care to regulate the whole regime of the patient’s life for joy and happiness, allowing his relatives and special friends to cheer him, and by having someone tell him jokes. The surgeon must rebel against anger, hatred and sadness in the patient and remind (Continue Reading…)

Humor Tips at Work and School

by Dan Gascon

Believing it is healthy, acceptable and necessary to use humor at work and school is the new wave of the second millenium.

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.”
Dale Carnigie

“There are no Menial jobs. Just menial attitudes.”
William J. Beaumont

“Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.”
Proverb

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”
Mark Twain

If you feel things are too serious in your situation, understand that you may be believing the old saying; “If your having fun, you can’t be working.” Logic tells us this is just not the case. People who truly enjoy their work and school can’t wait to get there and can’t really tell the difference between them and play. This is sometimes confused with being a “workaholic” but the people who are fun loving toward their work are less stressed, do a better job and are filled with pride. They are often the among the most popular, love to play, are witty, energetic, creative and positive, are great teachers and just fun to be around.

Using your sense of humor at work and school is the perfect tool (Continue Reading…)

Evaluate your sense of humor

By Dan Gascon

So how aware are you of your beliefs about smiling, laughing, mirth, humor and life in general?

Well, don’t just sit there, grab a pen or pencil and ask yourself twenty questions to evaluate your sense of humor.

Answer each question from 1 – 7, and remember there are no right or wrong answers here. This is just a guideline to give you a base to work from. Be honest with yourself; don’t dwell on any question.

Enjoy!

Your Sense of Humor Evaluation

(1-never 2-almost never 3-seldom 4-sometimes 5-often 6-almost always 7-always)

1. I have a lot of laughs.
2. I have a lot of fun.
3. I laugh at my own mistakes.
4. I think happy, fun and uplifting thoughts.
5. I am spontaneous.
6. I like to hear and tell jokes.
7. I take myself lightly at work.
8. I like to watch and read humorous material.
9. I take responsibility for my own happiness.
10. I consider other’s feelings before I attempt any humor.
11. I surround myself with positive family and friends.
12. I plan time to play.
13. I avoid giving offense with my humor.
14. I like to hear and tell funny life stories.
15. I use my sense of humor to cope in unpleasant times.
16. I like (Continue Reading…)

10 Appropriate Humor Tips

by Dan Gascon

All you have to do to become more confident in being appropriate with your humor is to be open, aware, practice and follow these tips:

10 Things That Can Make Humor Appropriate

1. Always consider your audience first.

2. Intend to invoke smiles, joy and laughs.

3. Introduce it gradually.

4. Trust your instincts.

5. Be diplomatic.

6. See the good clean fun in the situation.

7. Enjoy it yourself.

8. Be able to take it yourself.

9. Use set-ups that prepare your audience.

10. Share the spotlight.

Always remember to be tactful and honest with your sense of humor. If you give it freely and often, it will make you a healing humor force.

“If you pay attention to other’s needs and feelings,

you will rarely be guilty of letting bad timing turn positive into negative humor.”

C.W. Metcaff

–

Copyright 2005 by Dan Gascon. Founder of Humor for your health. Reprinted with permission. Reach Dan at www.humorforyourhealth.com

The six amazing powers of laughter

By Dan Gascon

Laughter is the medicine of the soul and the sound of its healing. Laughter is a gift with no cultural, social or spiritual exemptions. No matter how people laugh, it is an illustration of joy, happiness, personality, character, mood and situation. It is pure human expression.

1. Can transcend any situation.

2. Provides us with self-protection, control and peace of mind.

3. Makes everyone more fluid and flexible.

4. Stimulates immune systems; combats illness and stress.

5. Gives aerobic workouts; boosts energy levels; lowers blood pressure, and gives internal massages.

6. IS PURE PLEASURE AND LIFTS OUR SPIRITS TO PLAY!

“Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator,

but among those I love I can; all of them make me laugh.”

W.H. Auden

Copyright 2005 by Dan Gascon. Founder of Humor for your health. Reprinted with permission. Reach Dan at www.humorforyourhealth.com

5 Facts of Humor’s Balancing Act

By Dan Gascon

Your sense of humor allows you to constantly create new realities to enrich and bring balance to your life. Along with laughter, it provides you with greater physical health, helps you cope with perspective and gives you more happiness. Here are the facts to humor’s balancing act:

1. RELIEVES YOU OF TENSION AND STRESS. Humor and laughter combat and create opposite effects. When you laugh, you are cheerful, upbeat, playful, light-hearted, you let go, vent, relax and unwind.

2. GIVES YOU AN AEROBIC AND INTERNAL WORKOUT. The diaphragm is the large muscle which separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity and gets a great workout when we laugh heartily. Our respiration is enhanced, blood pressure is lowered and the amount of oxygen in the blood stream increases. Ever laughed so much it hurt? The movement of the diaphragm also stimulates surrounding organs, such as the stomach, kidneys and liver, acting as an internal massage.

3. STIMULATES YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. University studies show laughter lowers serum cortisol levels, increases T-cell production, lowers blood pressure and increases the number and activity of disease-fighting killer cells. These are all natural Ahealth substances,@ endorphins and encephalons that free us (Continue Reading…)

When is a joke not a joke?

by Karyn Buxman, RN, MSN, CSP, CPAE

Two students were shot and killed and 13 others injured when a 15-year-old boy, Andy Williams, went on a shooting rampage at school in San Diego, CA. Several people report hearing the boy threaten to go on a killing spree at school but thought he was joking.

When is a joke not a joke? There are three recognized functions of humor. One of the three functions of humor is that of communication.

“Many times people will communicate a desire or fear in the guise of a joke. If the ‘joke’ elicits the response they secretly want, then they have achieved their objective. If it does not elicit the desired response, then they have still saved face; they can say, “I was only joking.”

What to do?

Listen beyond the laughter: Usually a joke is just a joke, but does the humor cause you to suspect that the other person is trying to tell you something?

Listen to your gut: If you think the other person might not be joking, you’re probably picking up non-verbal clues. More often than not, your intuition is right.

Follow through: If the humor is not ringing in sync with (Continue Reading…)