06.07.10
Posted in Humor~Events, Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Research, www.yourshiningexample.com at 6:49 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Happy yet? Here’s a re-post of part of the article that I wrote for Dr. Nancy Mramor’s Happiness Project. The project shares the expertise of over a dozen authors who have contributed joint articles with Nancy to let you know what the latest research says about what makes you happy. Our wish for you is that you have the happiest year of your life by joining in the free subscription to these 12 E-zines at drmramor.com.
Here ya go:
“According to Baylor College of Medicine BioEd Online, humor triggers parts of the brain that help us to “get” the joke. These are the same areas of the brain that control smiling and laughter. When we respond to (or with) humor, our brain releases dopamine, a feel-good chemical in the brain. Research is continuing on how the appreciation of humor can diagnose the early stages of depression.
Humor actually creates transitions in our bodies and our brains. So, how can we use this humor power to help the transitions we encounter in daily life? Well, humor begins with ACCEPTANCE–exactly what we can’t or don’t want to do during a transition. We want to be in control! We want to overcome! We want to be comfortable again. And so we fight against our situation. Or, sometimes worse, we yield to passiveness and then to hopelessness.
Acceptance is the main factor that propelled my career as a humorist speaker to the next level. When I started performing comedy over ten years ago, I was all over the map. I don’t mean I was traveling to clubs and getting paid. I mean I was doing material about rap music, dumb blonde jokes—a little of everything. I even talked about urban material even though I grew up in the country (yes, this country), and never saw a sidewalk or an elevator until I was well into grade school. But I thought I was hilarious!
The only problem was that no one else was laughing. I thought there was something wrong with my audiences until a wise comedy mentor gave me his observation. “They’re not laughing because you’re not believable. There’s no truth there. Just talk about what you know. Talk about your day.”
I was dejected. I protested, “But there’s nothing funny about my life! I don’t even have a real job. I’m just a substitute teacher until the real teacher dies.” And you know what? He laughed. And as I continued to tell him about my uninteresting and not-funny life, he laughed more. I realized that once I could look at the truth, and accept it, I began to relax. I could see that my best humor was what was already happening all around me. I was living it. I didn’t need to listen to rap music! Not even at stop signs in someone else’s car!
The story got even better. I thought, “If I can talk about these “boring” things in my day-to-day life, why not tackle the more painful things?” I decided I would tell my tragic stories and add some exaggeration. So I threw in some tragic, horrific events. And–voila! More laughs. I talked about my need for a nose job because I’d had a tough childhood. “I was the only little girl in the 4th grade that looked like Alice Cooper.” But now I brag that ever since my nose job I look just like Julia Roberts. “Brother Eric.”
When we are able to accept something painful or hurtful, and then direct it through the lens of humor, we transform it. We disable its power over us and our emotions, our stress level, and our actions. In the process we ourselves are transformed. I’ve gotten the biggest laughs from talking about things that for years had broken my heart. And I hope that in the re-telling of these now-humorous tragedies others will say to themselves, “Hey—if she can laugh at the garbage in her life, maybe I can too. Let’s see–how can I transform my trials into humor gold?”
Permalink
06.06.10
Posted in Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Inspirational, Humor~Research, Humor~Social Media, Humor~Technology at 3:14 am by Dr. Trina Hess
Sex sells, but honesty brings repeat customers. I thought about one of these blog posts that goes directly to my Facebook wall. I’ve written lots of stuff about humor research. Things like how the brain calms when we are laughing and appreciating humor. How our mental, physical and emotional health improve when we use our sense of humor. I’ve shared special events that my friends and colleagues are offering. Brilliant things! Outstanding research!
Zero comments.
Until I started talking about my day. And my impressions about events in my day.
Honestly.
It wasn’t pretty. They weren’t pleasant feelings I was sharing. In one blog post, I wrote about getting stitches taken out of my hand. Painful. Brutal.
But people related. Because I told the whole truth–even the bad-hair parts. People reacted because they, too, had experienced similar unpleasantries.
But usually no one transparences themselves to the point of publicly writing it down.
And so everyone suffers in silence. Needlessly. When there are many people who think, feel, react, the same way.
“Humor increases killer T-cells in the body,” gets no comments. While “I ran out of tea,” leads to a geyser of comments trickling down the wall of my Facebook page. Why? No one knows what killer T-cells are, and no one can see them.
Everybody has tea bags. They drink tea regularly. They have strong opinions about tea. Tea is real to them. Even if it’s bad news about (my) tea, people will jump in and commisserate with you!
It’s astounding to watch the honesty of humor at work.
What will you share today that’s honest? Join us on Facebook so everyone can comment on it!
I’ll be the first!
Permalink
06.03.10
Posted in Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Inspirational, Humor~Research, www.yourshiningexample.com at 10:15 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
I’ve always wondered why doctors and dentists offices play bland, soft-rock puke-inducing music. I am already in a state of unrest when I arrive, knowing what kinds of procedures these professionals do. It is like telling everyone, “Put on a happy face.” It only works for half the people. The other half will become even more anxious.
I’m not even making this stuff up, the research was done in Julie K. Norem’s fabulous book, “The Positive Power of Negative Thinking.”
I thought of a better way when I got my stitches out one day at the doctor’s office. Why not play Motley Crue, some Jackal or G’n'R? I want to meet the task at hand with music that will match it. I’m already not in a calm mood, so playing calm music will make me panic even more.
Craig Valentine advises a similar strategy for speakers: don’t automatically ask people to jump up out of their seats with, “Are you ready to rumble?”-style cheerleading. Some people are tired. Some people don’t want to be there. Some people will never be cheerleaders. You have to start from their energy and then they will go with you anywhere.
Back to the doctor’s office. There was no music playing so I had to improvise. I held the mudra (hand gesture—no not that one) that we learned in yoga class. Touching 4th finger and crossing the first finger over the second. This helped me to breathe more deeply.
I recalled the scene from Platoon where the soldier was wounded and anxious and his commanding officer said, “TAKE the pain!” And eventually the soldier accepted the pain rather than ignore it and suffer reactively.
So I was ready for the procedure. I thought, “Bring it on, mudras!” I was in no happy mood, but I was prepared. They would be doing an injurious thing to me, so I had to meet them and the situation with the same fierceness.
I realized that was why my other appointments were such a disaster. Nausea, passing out, crying, thrashing around. And that was just the doctor. When I expected to hurt, I got scared, and I could only react, not act. I was cowering to the situation and the task at hand.
But when I matched the situation with the attitude it required (toughness) I was O.K. I didn’t even cry. And neither did the nurse.
What situations are you NOT matching? Are you keeping your usual style and suffering? Show the mudras what you’re made of! Now!
Permalink
06.01.10
Posted in Humor~Events, Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~In The News, Humor~Inspirational, Humor~Research at 10:54 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Ready to supercharge your year? Yes, I realize we’re halfway into it already but it’s never too late to start. Or too late to laugh. Here’s part of my article for Dr. Nancy Mramor’s Happiness Project, Have the Happiest Year of Your Life. To read the rest of the article, just sign up for Dr. Nancy’s e-zine series. It’s that simple! Each month you’ll get a power-packed issue to keep you on track.
Here we go:
Change is Painful but Humor Can Help!
By Trina Hess, D.Ed. Author, Humorist Speaker
Everyone hates change. It’s painful, unpleasant and not much fun. But if we look at change through the lens of humor, we can transform it into something tremendous and terrific. We can feel more in control over our lives and what happens to us.
Humor, laughter, smiling - they all help improve our health and well-being. They can be equally useful and powerful when we’re going through transition situations like job changes, relationship changes, aging, and any surprise changes in our lives. The great news is that we can harness humor to heal our hurts, and make us a harbinger of a healthier harvest of happiness.
The benefits of humor aren’t just to make us happier, though. There are specific physical responses that happen when we laugh. Our blood pressure lowers. Our breathing improves (once we stop laughing and catch our breath). Our resting heart rate slows, and we get an increase in killer T-cells. There are even chemical reactions that occur in the brain when we see, hear, or even anticipate something funny.
Permalink
05.28.10
Posted in Humor~Events, Humor~Research at 1:27 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Want to share your humor expertise with a wide audience of your peers? Here’s your chance! Read this from AATH:
“You’ve spent years honing your skills and now is the time for you to share your experience and knowledge by submitting a proposal for consideration as a break out presentation at AATH’s Annual Conference, April 7-10, 2011 in Orlando, Florida.
“The purpose of our conference is to provide high-quality education and networking opportunities for humor and laughter professionals. Our multiple day, multiple track format offers a self-directed, facilitated learning environment with educational sessions and interactive forums. This is your opportunity to let other “like minded” people know how you do what you do and how it impacts the world.
“The deadline for submission of proposals is: Friday, June 25, 2010.
“Do not miss this opportunity to share your expertise and ideas with our members and guests. We invite you to submit your proposal online by clicking the following link:
http://www.aath.org/call_presentations.htm”
Permalink
05.27.10
Posted in Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Research, www.yourshiningexample.com at 6:16 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Want to adopt me? Ask Trina for info---
Using, appreciating, expecting, and enjoying humor all benefit your health. One way to achieve humor is having a pet. What else provides so much free entertainment, companionship, and fun? Here from the
Main Street Newsletter are 7 good reasons to have a pet—-and get all the health benefits that humor offers us!
1. Lower Blood Pressure. A study in Psychosomatic Medicine linked dog ownership to reduced anxiety, a slower heartbeat, more relaxed muscles and lower blood pressure, plus heightened ability to cope with stress.
2. Heal Faster. Even short-term exposure to dogs after heart failure significantly lowers stress hormones, boosts mood and improves cardiac function.
3. Pets Are Immunity Boosters. Pet owners are said to make fewer visits on average to their family physicians, according to a UCLA study—probably because they’re less stressed and engage in more physical activity than those without furry companions.
4. Pets Can Lower Cholesterol. Several studies have shown that pet owners have lower cholesterol than those in homes with no pets.
5. Pets Can Keep You in Shape. Dog owners log more steps per day than non-pet owners, and also tend to walk faster, harder and longer, and are less likely to be obese.
6. Pets Can Ward Off Elderly Depression. Studies show that pet owners are as much as four times less likely to get age-related depression than those living by themselves, likely because even simple acts like petting a dog release brain chemicals (serotonin, for example) that naturally combat the condition.
7. Pets Can Play the Role of Marriage Counselor. Studies show couples with dogs report less tension in their marriages (maybe it’s the “blame the dog” theory), as well as better conflict resolution with their partners.
7.5 Ready to get a dog? The one above and his 3 siblings just happen to be available! Here’s the story from one of my colleagues:
“They are a healthy weight – according to the vet they are the size of an average Lab at the same age. The puppies are a Lab/Border Collie/Beagle mix. I would GREATLY appreciate any help in finding good, responsible homes for them. They are almost fully weaned and will be ready to leave their mama and litter mates in 1 week.
“A few months ago I adopted a dog from the Venango County Humane Society. She had a very healthy litter 7 weeks ago and there are 4 of them that I still need to find responsible homes for.”
If you or anyone you know would be interested please contact me. And, if you’d like to see the rest of the litter, check (and join) my Facebook fan page!
Thanks for supporting humor in every way possible! Good dog!
Permalink
05.26.10
Posted in Humor~Creativity, Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Inspirational, Humor~Research, www.yourshiningexample.com at 1:16 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Humor is only for certain situations, among certain people. There are some subjects that you can’t laugh about. And there are things that aren’t funny at all.
All the above are false. Especially when that subject is organic chemistry.
I stumbled upon a site for humor about organic chemistry. Some of the listings under the “Brain relaxation activities” were:
[Molecules of the week/month] [Organic chemistry and humor] [Amusing Stories] [Dramas] [Chemistry games] [Comical compounds] [Chemistry clip-art] [Chemistry Animations] [Funny sentences].
The funny thing is, I’m not even making this stuff up! Check out the jokes for yourself. And then think about what YOU didn’t think could be funny. Share your compounds here ~
Permalink
05.20.10
Posted in Humor~Business, Humor~Research, www.yourshiningexample.com at 1:34 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Did you read the Business News article
“What Chief Executives Really Want”? Think it’s employees showing up every day? Knowledge? Obedience? Think again. Of something funny.
“CEOs identify ‘creativity’ as the most important leadership competency for the successful enterprise of the future. Why is this?
Global complexity. And business leaders’ lack of confidence that they can deal with it.
Worldwide, business leaders are saying, “success requires fresh thinking and continuous innovation at all levels of the organization.”
Customers are computer savvy. They are connected.
But not to the company or its products.
Companies need to scramble to figure out how to attract these unherded cats.
So how does HUMOR help in this situation?
1. Humor is all about disruption. The element of surprise is WHY we laugh. The joke throws us off our usual path. Lets us see things in a different way. When we laugh about something, our stress level goes down. Our ideas become clearer and more prolific. We can CREATE.
2. A humorous work environment is fun. That means more motivation to continue to create. That means permission to go against the status quo. That’s a vicseral cycle that means victorious sales.
3. A humorous work environment promotes creativity. My vision is that workplaces that want to promote and encourage humor must also promote a humorous workplace. Not just a ‘creative’ space. The two cannot exist without each other. They ARE each other.
What are YOU doing to make your workplace more creative?
www.yourshiningexample.com
Permalink
04.05.10
Posted in Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Research at 3:45 am by Dr. Trina Hess
One of my favorite speakers and writers is Scott Ginsberg, a.k.a. “Scott The Nametag Guy.” He’s always writing about how you can stand out from the crowd and have our product, service, or message heard and remembered. One way of doing this is to copy a comedy strategy–allowing for absurdities instead of censoring your ideas.
Scott explains how Einstein once said, “If at first your idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it.” Here’s how Einstein made his most famous discovery from an absurd mental picture he had when he was sixteen years old:
“One day, while taking a walk, Albert envisioned himself riding atop of beam of light into outer space, traveling at 299,792,458 meters per second. That ridiculous image helped him better understand accelerated motion. Which helped him create the Theory of Relativity. Which changed the world of science forever. Which earned him the Noble Prize. Which secured his spot in history as the greatest genius of all time.
“Why? Because of a totally ridiculous, totally humorous image. In the book How to Think Like Einstein, author Scott Thorpe explains how this principle of melon motivating works: ‘Brains have a mechanism that is the mental equivalent of an immune system – it rejects ideas that are foreign to it. But humor suppresses your mental immune system. So, if you treat a new idea humorously, you will be able to explore it more thoroughly because you won’t immediately reject it. And your mind will be free to make other absurd connections with the seed idea, generating more concepts for solutions.’ ”
You can read more about Scott’s ideas at www.hellomynameisscott.com
What absurdities are YOU respecting today?
Permalink
04.03.10
Posted in Humor~Events, Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Research at 1:36 am by Dr. Trina Hess
Hope that you all celebrated April Fool’s Day on April 1st. It’s your best chance to stretch your boundaries and find out what people really think about you! Just listen to the responses you get to your pranks–it may be the only time during the year that people tell what they’re really thinking!
But we’re not the only country that celebrates, and not only on April 1st. Read about these celebrations–pick your own and keep practicing so you can, “Get Your S.H.I.N.E. Together!” and Live Life–Lite!
P.S. My Facebook post about closing my Fan Page–April Fool’s!!!
Other prank days in the world from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day
“Iranians play jokes on each other on the 13th day of the Persian new year (Norouz), which falls on April 1 or April 2. This day, celebrated as far back as 536 BC, is called Sizdah Bedar and is the oldest prank-tradition in the world still alive today; this fact has led many to believe that April Fools’ Day has its origins in this tradition.[5]
“The April 1 tradition in France and French-speaking Canada includes poisson d’avril (literally “April’s fish”), attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim’s back without being noticed. This is also widespread in other nations, such as Italy (where the term Pesce d’aprile (literally “April’s fish”) is also used to refer to any jokes done during the day). In Spanish-speaking countries, similar pranks are practiced on December 28, día de los Santos Inocentes, the “Day of the Holy Innocents”. This custom also exists in certain areas of Belgium, including the province of Antwerp. The Flemish tradition is for children to lock out their parents or teachers, only letting them in if they promise to bring treats the same evening or the next day.
“In Poland, prima aprilis (”April 1″ in Latin) is a day full of jokes; various hoaxes are prepared by people, media (which sometimes cooperate to make the “information” more credible) and even public institutions. Serious activities are usually avoided. This conviction is so strong that the anti-Turkish alliance with Leopold I signed on April 1, 1683, was backdated to March 31.
“In Scotland, April Fools’ Day is traditionally called Hunt-the-Gowk Day (”gowk” is Scots for a cuckoo or a foolish person), although this name has fallen into disuse. The traditional prank is to ask someone to deliver a sealed message requesting help of some sort. In fact, the message reads “Dinna laugh, dinna smile. Hunt the gowk another mile”. The recipient, upon reading it, will explain he can only help if he first contacts another person, and sends the victim to this person with an identical message, with the same result.
“In Denmark the 1st of May is known as “Maj-kat”, meaning “May-cat”, and is identical to April Fools’ Day, though Danes also celebrate April Fools’ Day (”aprilsnar”).
“In Spain and Ibero-America, an equivalent date is December 28, Christian day of celebration of the Massacre of the Innocents. The Christian celebration is a holiday in its own right, a religious one, but the tradition of pranks not, though the latter is observed yearly. After somebody plays a joke or a prank on somebody else, the joker usually cries out, in some regions of Ibero-America: “Inocente palomita que te dejaste engañar” (You innocent dove that allowed to get yourself fooled), as a popular expression. In Spain is common to say just “¡Inocente!” (Innocent!). Nevertheless in the Spanish island of Menorca “Dia d’enganar” (’Fooling day’) is celebrated on the 1st of April due that Menorca was a British possesion during a part of the 18th century.”
Permalink
« Previous entries
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=e3c4742a-c867-44b1-a94b-630d88fa2e04)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=64bd91e7-18d9-4de2-b219-e7882a75da97)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=8b5570e7-d6a7-43bd-9331-16df4eeee950)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=de642b03-2534-4417-ad15-bc898e96ad80)
