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 (Continue Reading…)

Diverting Leadership Style with Humor

by Dr. Joseph Michelli

According to the Chief of Naval Operations the following radio conversation occurred October 10th 1995:

#1 – Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North

#2 – Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

#1 – This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert

#2 – No, I say again, you divert YOUR course.

#1 – THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER ENTERPRISE. WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY. DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW!

#2: This the Puget Sound lighthouse. It's your call.

Most of us in corporate life have had the misfortune to be led by people like the ship's captain. In essence, leaders who are clear as to their purpose and authority but in a fog when it comes to vision and the ability to take their jobs seriously while taking themselves lightly.

Fortunately, many (Continue Reading…)

Laughing Your Way Through Work

by Dr. Joseph Michelli

It has been said that there are two kinds of people in the world, those who believe that there are two kinds of people and those who do not. Certainly when it comes to humor in the workplace there two different sorts – those who use it and those who don’t. Our jobs offer so many opportunities to test our humor and play skills. I believe that our families were given to us as children to learn to live with people we would have never chosen as friends. Similarly, the workplace is offered to us as a place where we can refine our ability to cope with strangers who we have randomly come to know. Be they co-workers, managers or customers, people make humor and playfulness worthwhile. Add to the recipe of workplace stress, changes in healthcaredelivery systems, staff reduction, larger and remote (Continue Reading…)

Jest for the Health of It!

by Dr. Joseph Michelli

Humor truly represents a set of skills which increase our capacity to stay fluid and flexible when we think our lives are out of control.

Humor skill development emphasizes shifting cognitive sets from tracking negatives to tracking positives.

The novelist Arthur Koestler wrote that laughter is a reflex but unique in that it has no apparent biological purpose. One might call it a luxury reflex. Its only function seems to be to provide relief from tension. From Mr. Koestler’s perspective, laughter and humor skills have little value. Thanks, however, to the work of psychoneuroimmunologists and our own clinical experiences we know that, if laughter isn’t “the best medicine,” it certainly is a component in emotional and physical health and well-being.

Consistent with health care reform throughout American, emphasis has been placed on preventative, low cost measures to decrease stress and improve immune functioning. Clinics have (Continue Reading…)

Adding Humor to Your Family

by Dr. Joseph Michelli

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For children, play is equivalent to work. Children don't feel it's work but play is their work. When we observe children playing, they seem to be involved but with no distinct purpose. It becomes clear that play lures children into learning. They are drawn to activities that pleasure them and help them to master essential skills.

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Respond to negative emotions with creativity. There are many choices for dealing with negative emotions. For example, when your child has a temper tantrum in a public place, you can choose a number of different ways to respond. One is to get angry and yell; another is to tell people in the grocery store that he's studying to be an opera singer. Which one do you suppose would relax you more?

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All children are gifted – each in his or her own way. Humor is a tool that can (Continue Reading…)

The way we laughed

by Izzy Gesell MSEd, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)

A few years ago I set out to explore the way people laughed through out this century. With the help of several grants and hundreds of Senior Citizens between the ages of 60 and 95, I not only gained insight into the ways they laughed but also into how we today can make ourselves happier.

I started the project under two assumptions. First, things were more naive back then; life was not as fraught with violence and mayhem as it is now. Second, that my to recall funny incidents, jokes and stories. After all, since laughter is such a precious commodity, I was sure it would be effortless for them to go into the safe deposit box stored in their memories and pull out a few gems to share with me.

To my surprise, however, I did not hear a great many (Continue Reading…)

Prevent Hardening of the Attitudes With Humor

by Izzy Gesell MSEd, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)

Laughter is the salt of personality. Its presence is an evidence of good nature, of the appreciation of the real values of life and a lack of tenseness. It is the most effective means of easing a difficult situation. — George Gow

It is generally agreed that good sense — and a good sense of humor — are important management tools that will carry you a long way in business and in life. Not as clear is why this is true or how one becomes more skilled at humor. Let’s look at an area where you can easily profit from an expanded sense of humor — setting the tone for the work environment and some simple ways to develop your own sense of humor.

Humor in the workplace works like a thermostat, controlling the climate within the environment. It (Continue Reading…)

Re-Moralizing Ourselves Through Humor

by Izzy Gesell MSEd, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)

“Morale — the level of individual psychological well-being based on such factors as a sense of purpose and confidence in the future.”

It is not surprising that people feel demoralized these days. As our society continues through a social, political, and economic metamorphosis, many folks are caught in the midst of tremendous turmoil wrought by the ongoing changes. It’s hard to keep an optimistic outlook on the future when that future threatens to turn your present existence inside out.

It’s worthwhile to remember that most situations in life come in one of two forms – those we can control and those we can’t. When acting on a situation within our control, we feel competent and in charge. Taking action on a situation out of our control — such as traffic jams, federal regulations or other peoples’ behavior — often leaves us frustrated (Continue Reading…)

What is healing humor?

by Dan Gascon

Humor has great healing power when used appropriately. By transcending the seriousness of the individual’s or group’s past experiences, humor can relieve and revive, creating a positive common force between people and cultures. It can even defuse and ease tension that is racial or hateful. Humor always has its best results when it is felt and thought out, so increase your understanding by learning the guidelines for Healing Humor:

HEALING HUMOR

ACCEPTS the difficulty in situations along life’s journey.

TAKES RESPONSIBILITY for its actions and reactions.

BONDS people and issues together in understanding.

LAUGHS with others and at itself.

SOLVES problems.

BUILDS CONFIDENCE in group and individual situations.

INVOLVES everyone in the fun.

EMPOWERS the forces of change.

“If our attempt at humor is gentle and from the heart, the risks are minimal; we cannot fail.”
Allen Klein

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

What is comedy?

by Dan Gascon

“Comedy, we may say, is society protecting itself – with a smile.”
J.B. Priestley

Comedy is humor’s day-job. It is defined as: an amusing art form with a happy ending; a class of play or show; a funny happening or incident; the comic or humorous element in life. What comes to your mind when you think of comedy, and what makes it in your life?

Comedy is made by pointing out the incongruities (the inappropriate, out of place, unharmonious, incompatible, inconsistent and illogical) in life.

Most comedy happens two ways:

1. When the expected is replaced by the unexpected.
2. On a realization, a falling into place or a getting it.

The link between what is comedy and what is tragic is as old as mankind. In fact, most theater and film humor stories combine both elements in a form known as the tragicomedy – the main character has to survive numerous roadblocks, (Continue Reading…)