LJI 10.1: A string of little victories…

[alexpgp]

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”
—W. W. Purkey

Do you want to know the secret to feeling really alive?

Laugh.

Laugh long. Laugh hard. Most important, laugh as often as you can.

And don’t be stingy; release this laughter in great, overpowering peals—the kind that make people over in the next aisle in the supermarket take notice.

The world is full of material to laugh at; a veritable vein of gold awaiting your mental pick and shovel. They range from your reaction to listening to a “set piece” of stand-up comedy—though these can quickly become a source of dissatisfaction, as who likes to be spoon fed, am I right?—to hearing an acquaintance relate a story of some fabulous feat (or fumbling flub). It's all good.

Personally, I associate the goings-on around me to the many jokes I’ve heard over the years—the former reminding me of the latter, which percolate up and down in my mind like bones in a simmering stew, so I laugh. (“A penguin, a chimpanzee and a llama walk into a bar. ‘What is this?’ says the bartender, ‘Some kind of joke?’).

Sometimes, it is the serendipity of hearing a song one hasn’t heard in a long time played on the radio. There is joy to be found in serendipity.

There are moments when I imagine playing a prank on someone, and the thought is enough to evoke a guffaw—no actual prank needed.

As a translator, I’ve been known to erupt in a good belly laugh after finding the meaning of a particularly slippery term, as I did earlier today while translating an article on—wait for it—rock jetties (the term means "area inside the breakwater").

And then there that very special laugh that, in me, is triggered by the simple act of noticing where I am and reacting to what is around me. This morning, I stepped out of our condo and walked to the corner to take a look at the mountains, which have never failed to bring a smile to my face for absolutely no other reason than that they exist, at which point I find the line between a big smile and an extended fit of laughter to be quite thin.

Comments

[bleodswean.livejournal.com]

Oh! Yes! Yes! Yes!

And thanks for the joke! I'm def telling that one tomorrow!

“When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.” – Will Rogers

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

Ah, my 89 year old dad tells that joke all the time (along with hundreds of others.) Now I know his source!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Good one!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers...

[lilmissmagic71.livejournal.com]

I make it a point to make sure my kids laugh every day... at something... anything... even if it has to be me. :) I want them to always have that... Good entry! :)

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I think I do the same, if perhaps unconsciously.

I'm glad you liked the piece.

Cheers...

[eternal-ot.livejournal.com]

Great Advice! Welcome back :) Loved this take on the prompt.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

It's good to be back.

I appreciate your comment.

Cheers...

[karmasoup.livejournal.com]

Beautiful. *smile*

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Thank you! <smile, right back atcha>

Cheers...

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed this and totally agree. Funny is good.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

We should start a Movement! :)

Thanks for the comment.

Cheers...

[alphaloria.livejournal.com]

Great take on the prompt.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Cheers...

[harmony83.livejournal.com]

This is great! I am always smiling or laughing, to the point where I've had people tell me I shouldn't smile so much. But that never stopped me.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

People! What do they know?

Keep smiling!

Cheers...

[ellison.livejournal.com]

This is beautiful, I love this! One of the main joys I have from being with my husband and son is they both make me laugh an awful lot! :D This is great!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Cheers...

[lordrexfear.livejournal.com]

I am not a laugher. To get me to even guffaw is a rare thing. I need to be caught basically completely off guard to cause my body to actually laugh out loud. Yet I laugh inside so damn much. I hope you and the universe considers them equal.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I don't know. If it was me, I'd work on connecting the two. I'm told that the physical aspects of laughing result in positive physiological changes in the body.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Cheers... :)

[yuniebaby.livejournal.com]

There are few things that compare to a good, hearty laugh!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I can think of a couple, but they're really expensive! :)

Cheers...

[kajel.livejournal.com]

Wonderful advice. I love the laughter that is unexpected and you just can't seem to stop. The oddest things or turn of phrase can bring it about.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I see this everywhere, all the time. It's neat!

Cheers...

[marlawentmad.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the great advice!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Run with it!

:)

Cheers...

[mamas-minion.livejournal.com]

Very Good advice, life is so much better with a little laugh and joy.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. (Plus, the alternative is too horrible to contemplate! :)

Cheers...

[dmousey.livejournal.com]

A twisted sense of humour will carry one far. If you can laugh at yourself and the absurdity that can be found around you, survival certainly is easier! Hugs and peace~~~D

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

So true, and thanks!

Cheers...

[bewize.livejournal.com]

Great take on the topic!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I appreciate the comment!

Cheers...

[murielle.livejournal.com]

I have always had a strange sense of humor. Most of the time people just don't get me. That said, my sense of humor is so warped that I often just don't get other's jokes. But I love a good belly laugh, and I have them often. With or without the rest of the world.

Laugh on!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I know the feeling, and it's not worth any sleep lost.

Keep laughing. :)

Cheers...

[adpaz.livejournal.com]

I love this! And it's something that my husband follows whole heartedly. One of the reasons I fell in love with him was his ability to laugh with his whole being.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I am glad you liked it!

Cheers...

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

What a lovely, uplifting piece!

I do sometimes fear being the person heard the next aisle over in the supermarket, but better for laughter than because I'm raining rage down on someone. :)

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the kind words!

Cheers...

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

So true!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Cheers...

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

Comedy is what keeps us human. Or at least that's one of the lessons I believed from Clown College.