11.30.09
Posted in Humor~General at 4:53 am by Dr. Trina Hess
This week’s Comedy Around the World goes into the woods. To run with my dogs. We usually run through the woods and in an area where seeing a bear can be a common event. Especially if you are running and without a weapon. (That’s the time they usually appear).
I’ve had about 4 or 5 of these bear encounters. And each time, I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid. My dog was afraid. Luckily there were never any disasters. Usually the bears didn’t notice us. Or, they ran the other direction. One time, my dog chased a bear cub into a tree, then ran out ahead of me. When I turned to look at the bear cub, the mother bear was standing on her hind legs looking for the one who had chased her baby into the tree.
A lot of life involves things that surprise us. Doesn’t even have to involve wildlife. Things happen that scare us. We don’t know how to respond. But sometimes, no response is the best response.
Think of being in that ‘humor zone’, where nothing rattles you. You are on your toes, and in the flow. That’s what it feels like when I’m running. And when a bear would approach (or we would approach it), the meeting was merely a bump in the road. I didn’t need to know what to do–my legs knew. They knew they could speed up, change directions, or figure another way out.
I couldn’t always think of a solution when in this wild life scenario. The good news is, we don’t always have to have all the answers all of the time. If we are in that ‘zone’, we will be agile. Able to adapt. We will know the correct response because we will be free from stress. We will be able to think clearly.
What ‘bear’ will you encounter this week? And how will YOU respond?
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11.29.09
Posted in Humor~General at 12:50 am by Dr. Trina Hess
Click here to watch JD\'s act!
My friend JD Sidley is co-founder of the Cleveland Comedy Kitchen and also the Cleveland Comedy Festival. Last year was the first Festival. Last year was also when JD was diagnosed with colon cancer.
This year’s festival was the first time I’d seen JD in over a year. As an honorary member of the Cleveland Comedy Kitchen (they allowed one woman in the kitchen), I was invited to perform with the group at the Festival.
I didn’t know what to expect.
JD is the grandfather of clean comedy in Cleveland (in my humble opinion.) Not only is he clean, he is clever, his material is very smart, and he ALWAYS gets a laugh.
“Would this time be different?” I wondered, as JD’s wife wheeled him into the room in a wheelchair. Should we laugh at his jokes? Or would that be rude? Should we be overly polite? Or would that be rude?
I have to admit that it was hard to see JD in a wheelchair. This was JD, the sometimes-mouthy, always-fearless leader of our group. The strong one, the anchor of our Kitchen team.
As I came offstage, I looked over at JD in his chair. All he did was nod and smile. I KNEW I was funny.
But would JD be funny? And should we laugh? How could he possibly be funny now, especially at such a trying time as this in his life? How? He did just as any comic–sick or well–would:
1. He stated the obvious. Mentioned his cane, his shortness of breath. His chemo and doctor visits.
2. He made us comfortable. We didn’t have to worry about JD. His material told us that he is coping with his situation. And he invited us to cope with it with him.
3. He reminded us that it is possible to overcome even a tragedy such as his–as long as we can make ourselves laugh.
Click the above link to view JD’s act.
If you want to see more of his act, just go to www.YouTube.com/cleanatrina
And remember: Yes, it is OK to laugh! Thanks, JD.
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11.28.09
Posted in Humor~General at 4:08 am by Dr. Trina Hess
A friend just told me about the website called www.heavens-above.com You can plug in your location and find out where and when you can see various satellites in the night sky.
The vastness of space is a great reminder of how we can also find out where and when humor can work for us.
Think about a conductor. If you sing or play an instrument, you innately know when and how to make your voice or your instrument sound lighter.
Or imagine being in a flooded room. The water is getting higher and higher. You are floating near the top of the room now. There’s only a thin space of air between the water and the ceiling. So you HAVE to keep your head up. Or, as my German friend says, “Kopf hoch!”
The space above compels us to look higher–whether we’re looking at the stars in general or searching for a satellite. Doesn’t matter.
Whether you’re creating a general atmosphere of lightness, or searching for something clever to say on the spur of the moment. Doesn’t matter.
Humor keeps us looking up. Holds our heads above water. Lets us breathe. And makes our bodies, our health, our minds and our voices lighter.
Try searching for satellites outside your house tonight.
“Kopf hoch!”
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11.27.09
Posted in Humor~General at 4:58 am by Dr. Trina Hess
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving today. And now, just in time for the next holiday…here’s something FREE. And you don’t even have to stand outside your computer 3 a.m. on Black Friday.
You know how I’m always talking about creating a humorous, fun environment. Well, here’s your chance to do that–FREE!
All you have to do is go to one of my favorite sites, www.komando.com
My friend Kim Komando now has Christmas wallpaper for your desktop. Just do the same procedure you did to get your Thanksgiving wallpaper.
Use your new decor as a reminder to Live Life–Lite!
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11.26.09
Posted in Humor~General at 3:39 am by Dr. Trina Hess
Humor is all about learning to Live Life–Lite! And what better way to do that this Thanksgiving than to make a recipe that’s also Lite!
Here’s one of my favorites, I found it on www.realage.com. Enjoy!
Creamy Cauliflower Puree
From EatingWell.com
This savory side dish is a healthy stand-in for mashed potatoes. Vary it by adding shredded low-fat cheese or chopped fresh herbs.
Ingredients
8 cup(s) bite-size cauliflower florets, (about 1 head)
4 clove(s) garlic, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup(s) buttermilk, or equivalent buttermilk powder
4 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon(s) butter
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Snipped fresh chives, for garnish
———————————————————————
Directions
1.Place cauliflower florets and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)
2.Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.
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11.25.09
Posted in Humor~General at 3:38 am by Dr. Trina Hess
Here’s a message I got from my friend ventriloquist Evan DeWitt–and when a ventriloquist speaks, I always listen!
“XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL
If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can’t pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.
How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them. This takes just 10 seconds and it’s a wonderful way to say thank you.
Please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you’s.
Thanks for taking to time to support our military!”
Copy and paste this address to go to the site: http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html
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11.24.09
Posted in Humor~General at 4:04 am by Dr. Trina Hess
Gary Auerbach, frisbee champion!
Here’s a great video from my new friend Gary Auerbach, national frisbee champion. Feel free to pass the video along to all your friends!
And, watch Gary make a basket with a frisbee, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5iZjuBSaww
Enjoy!
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11.23.09
Posted in Humor~General at 6:40 am by Dr. Trina Hess
This week’s Comedy Around the World goes to my high school track. It wasn’t one of those fancy tartek/tartan rubberized cushy tracks that the other schools had. Ours was cinder. If you tripped, you knew it. For days. The lanes were barely visible. Some of them had grass growing in them. But that didn’t stop our coach from getting us to run faster.
One of his tips was, “Don’t pass on the outside lane!”
We were to wait. Until we got on the straight-away. Then we could pass the other runner(s).
Why? Doesn’t this give the other runner more time to stay ahead of the pack? Shouldn’t we hurry up and pass the person ASAP? Isn’t this called a race after all??!!
Passing on the straight-away conserves energy. You don’t have to run those few extra inches rounding the curve. What’s a few inches?
A lot, especially when you are pacing your energy reserves. And when you are making 4 turns each lap.
When we run on the humor track, we are always on the straight-away. It’s like floating along–no elbows or spikes to trip us up. We’re not struggling around the curve. We’re not wasting extra energy. We are in “the zone.”
What’s YOUR outside lane? What do you constantly waste your effort on?
Perfectionism? Uncertainty? Fear? Boredom? Fatigue? Forgetfulness?
Wait.
Hold back.
Take that pause.
And then get back to the straight-away. It’s easier to see what’s going on. The lanes aren’t as cluttered as they are on the curves. You can run full-out. You can blow by your competitors, your detractors, your fears and your self-limitations.
And you can have fun.
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11.22.09
Posted in Humor~General at 3:37 am by Dr. Trina Hess
Dave NelsenThanks to Dave Nelsen, president of Dialog: social media strategy for business. view the video clip above as Dave tells about the importance of social networking.
I learned a lot of things today. First, I shouldn’t Ping it. Also, I have to do much better searches on Twitter. And finally, my dog has got to start doing more interesting things so I can post on YouTube.
Check my Facebook fan page for participant testimonials about today’s NSA meeting with Dave Nelsen!
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11.21.09
Posted in Humor~General at 3:04 am by Dr. Trina Hess
One of my favorite people is Scott the Nametag Guy. I love his blog entries, because he writes about humor–whether intentionally or not. In his recent entry, “9 Ways to become a Company Your Competitors Want to Strangle with an Orange Extension Cord,” Scott writes about change.
“Fear of evolution typecasts brands. Evolve slowly and constantly. Evolve regularly and effortlessly. Sure, your genetic reflex to avoid change will try to kick in. But don’t let it. As Charles Darwin suggestion, ‘Take advantage of slight successive variations and advance by the shortest and slowest steps.’
“Remember: Flux IS equilibrium. Occasional moments of stability are nice, but brands that keep moving keep winning. Go stretch yourself. Move mental furniture. Make growth and change a normal part of who you are. What decade is your brand still trapped in?”
What’s so funny about that? Humor is also all about change. Changing our perspective. Changing our minds. Changing direction. And all the while, having FUN!
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