Self-Improvement | Humor | The Self Improvement Blog

Videos for the Week of February 21, 2010

February 20, 2010 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

The First Video is just for laughs.

Jeanne Robertson is a professional speaker who specializes in hilarious humor based on her life experiences. Speaking to thousands of people annually, she utilizes her positively funny style to illustrate that a sense of humor is much more than a laughing matter. It is a strategy for success.

Other speakers might be as witty as Jeanne. Some might even be as tall. (Barefooted withher hair “mashed” down, she’s 6’2″ in her size 11B stocking feet.) But nowhere will you find a speaker so adept at turning personal experiences into funny material that does more than elicit laughter. This Miss Congeniality winner in the Miss America Pageant, “Yearrrrrrrrrrrs ago,” quoting Jeanne, uses her down-home Southern drawl to leave her audiences laughing
. . . and thinking about her message.

Jeanne’s success as a humorous speaker has not gone unnoticed by her peers. She has been awarded every top honor in her profession. They like her back home too. The NC Press Association named Jeanne 2001 North Carolinian of the Year.

You may have seen this Hall of Fame speaker being interviewed by CBS correspondent Morley Safer on “60 Minutes” . . . or watched one of the six humor DVDs she has produced in the last eleven years . . . or heard her daily on Sirius/XM Radio’s Family Comedy Channels . . . or seen a YouTube clip that had over two million hits in two months. But only if
you’ve seen Jeanne in person at one of the thousands of speeches she has given over the past 45 years can you really appreciate why she stands at the top of her profession.

Jeanne Robertson is funny. Oh my, yes. She also knows that her job is far more than being funny. Her message is that a sense of humor is an attitude, an approach toward working with people. She believes that this humor attitude can be developed and improved, and she outlines how to do so while captivating audiences with funny, original stories.

If you are reading this after the week of February 21, click the following link to view the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1_W0LCHwK4&feature=email

Transcript
A little over a week before filming this episode, I was on my way into NYC, and the tone on my blackberry went off to let me know that I had an email.
Now, I don’t know about you, but up until 1992, I had never touched a computer and I swore I wouldn’t. Today I have two laptops, two desktops, and I walk around with a blackberry strapped to my side.
I bought into the whole idea that technology was going to make life easier and that it was going to help me stay connected. Actually, what I have personally found is that it has just given me more time, to be busier.
I don’t know if it’s the same for you, maybe it’s just me. But, I’ve actually become less connected with the people and the things that are most important to me because of technology allowing me to do more “things”. I really have tried making time to stay connected. At least twice a year, I will do a mass email to pretty much everyone in my address book. Just an email reaching out to say, “Hey, I haven’t seen or heard from you in a while. I wanted to reconnect and see if we can commit to staying in touch more.” Sometimes on a long drive, I’ll go through my cell phone book making time to call people to try and connect; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But I was always able to say “I tried”.
I do realize that as we go through this journey in life, that people will enter our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Many of you may have become aware of an email that goes around describing how the people who come into our lives don’t always stay as long as we like. Some are around for only a reason; helping us learn something about ourselves, or we are helping them learn something about themselves.
Some people enter our lives for a season; where we help each other grow and transition. Then a small number actually stay with us for a lifetime. I do actually understand that some of those people in my address book are no longer on that part of the journey with me. We have connected for a specific experience, and that time has passed.
The reason that we’re shooting this episode today is the email that I got that morning on my way to work was about the passing of a very dear friend. Somebody who, for whatever reasons, fell off that list of things that were important enough to make sure I was staying connected with.
The person was Nancy McKowen. She was very important person, in a very unique circle of friends that I connected with between 1998 and around 2000. This group of friends did some amazing things. We all supported each other in a spectacular growth period. We supported each other, and we reached out to support our communities. I can say that everyone who was in that circle made quantum leaps in our own personal and spiritual development because of the support that we gave each other and the experiences we shared.
Then about five years ago I ended up moving from New Jersey where this group was located back to Pennsylvania and fell out of contact with a lot of people. I mean, when I lived in NJ I would see these people weekly. We were always making time to do something together, meetings, book discussions, charitable causes and just hanging out. After I moved back to PA these gatherings became less frequent. I think the last contact I had with Nancy was probably five years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I understand these things happen.
It was just that in the email they told me that she had been struggling with cancer for quite some time. As I went through the day I struggled with a lot of different emotions, and I couldn’t figure out why. I’m pretty grounded in my Spiritual beliefs, and when someone passes, even a close relative or friend, I’m not usually shaken up. Then I had a realization of what was bothering me so much. It was that I was not making time and had dropped the ball on what’s truly important to me.
I’ve had some great accomplishments in my life. I’ve succeeded in many areas and overcome a lot of things. And we’ve all heard the saying that when a person gets to the last moment of their lives it’s not about the successes they had or the money they earned. It’s about the relationships that they nurtured. It’s about the moments they shared with loved ones. It’s about the times they spent actually “living” life. The email about Nancy’s passing drove that home for me.
So, what did I learn from that experience?
Well, for me I’ve decided that I’m raising my standards of making time for what is important and how I’m going to stay in contact or at least let the people in my life who are important to me, know that they are. I’m making time to make sure that those emails individually go out, rather than a mass email, weekly. I’m going to make phone calls weekly. I’m stepping up my commitment because these people are what’s important in my life, and I want to let them know. Even if I don’t hear back from them; them reaching back to me… that’s not the point. This is not about them reciprocating. It is about me reaching out to let other people know that they’re important.
In the past, whenever I’ve sent those emails or made those phone calls, I had this belief system that said if I don’t hear back, it was okay. I’d say to myself, “I know they care, and they know I care, we’re just… busy.”
That excuse isn’t good enough anymore for me. I need to make sure that I let the people know that they are important. I’m making sure that I make the time, and what I would like to ask you to do for yourself and those that you care about, is to have you ask yourself, “What can I do today, to let the people who are important to me know that they are?” Not to just assume they know, but really let them know that you care. What is something you can do to connect with them?
I hope you don’t have to have the same experience I have had with the loss of a very dear friend to make you realize the need for making time for what is important.
Thanks and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Dedicated to Nancy Marie McKowen
8-8-1960 to 5-9-2009
Thank you for bringing love and light to this world.
Love and Respect
Willard

Filed Under: Videos Tagged With: Humor, jeannie robertson, self awareness, Willard Barth

Videos for the First Week in February

January 31, 2010 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

The First Video – Tree Power is brought to us by Sheepfilms and is one of my all time favorites. I have posted this several times and I still can’t figure it out. I enjoy it every time I see it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It’s about How autumn (fall) works, or doesn’t in this case

If you are reading this after the first week of February, click on the link below to view the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Chy5kPQ-Y

The Second Video – Good Deeds and Kind Words with Willard Barth

If you are reading this after the first week of February, click on the link below to view the video.

http://www.yourdailylifecoach.com/good-deeds.html

Transcript of the video:

Today we’re going to discuss a quote by H. Jackson Brown, “Kind Words and Good Deeds are Eternal, You never know where their influence will end”.

Can you remember a time when the kind words, or good deeds, or the actions of a friend or even a stranger, dramatically, impacted your life?

We really never know how our actions or what we do for someone, is going to affect that individual and even more, how that ripple effect will impact others.

To give you a great example of how powerful good deeds, or a simple act kindness can be, I want to share with you how the kindness of a stranger saved my life, and I believe also, because of what has happened since, the lives of many others. I was about 20 years old and I had gotten into trouble with the law, because I was drinking, using drugs and being totally irresponsible. After a drunk driving arrest, I was sentenced by the courts to attend AA meetings. I had no intention of going to these meetings to get sober or change my life, I was just going to avoid being put in jail. There was one specific meeting I went to which was in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and I came to the meeting with beer in my car, totally expecting that after the meeting I was going to go out and party.

At the end of the meeting, a stranger walked up to me and gave me a card with his first name and phone number on it. He said, if you ever decide that you TRULY want help, call me anytime.

Well, I didn’t want help, and I never used his number. Fast forward to four years later; I had reached a serious low in my life, as some call it, I had “hit the bottom” and I was looking for some answer… for some kind of help, some way to stop the insanity I was living at that point. I was going through a box of papers and I found that card.

Now, the story would be great, if I said I called that guy and he helped me changed my life, but that’s not how the story went.

This is why I’m saying we never know how our good deeds impact somebody. This guy never heard back from me, I never saw him again, and our interaction maybe lasted 1 minute at the very most. But the card that he gave me, when I was at my lowest point, gave me hope. His offer gave me a belief that there were people out there who genuinely cared, that there were people who were willing to help. And because of that glimmer of hope, that new belief that somewhere, there was one person… maybe there were more… I reached out and found some people who were willing to offer their help in changing my life. And because of their supporting me, because of his initiating it, I rebuilt a devastated life, and have gone on and made it my mission to help other people change theirs.

We don’t know the impact we have on others. It’s the ripple effect, you drop the pebble in the pond and the ripples go out. Every action has a reaction-whether you are there to see it or not.

Because of that one person reaching out to me my mantra has become, (and I modified this slightly from the card that the man I am speaking of handed me), that “I am responsible, whenever anyone, anywhere, reaches out, I want them to have the same support that I had, and for that I am responsible.”

We’re talking about self awareness in this course, and one of the things that I think that you will find is that every interaction that you have, happens for a reason. Every person that you meet, every communication and interaction you have is an opportunity. And it’s your choice how you’re going to leave that interaction. Are you going to plant a seed that’s going to help somebody? You know it can be so simple if we are conscious of our actions. Are you going to smile at somebody who is having a bad day? Are you going to help somebody with their groceries? You don’t know what long term effect that’s going to have. AND, that simple gesture could end up saving a life. I’m not trying to make it sound overly dramatic, but I really want you to think about it. I know for a fact that the simple gesture that man made to me in 1985 saved my life and others lives also.

Think back in your own life. Can you think of three or four “small” good deeds that somebody has done for you? They could be things as simple as someone letting you go first in line at the grocery store. Maybe someone stops to help you when your car was broken down. They could be small incidents, or major ones. Have you ever experienced a good deed when it has been done anonymously?

There’s a little gift that I would like to offer to you. I want to share a thing I like to do from time to time as a possibility of something you can do also and experience the joy I get when I do it.

Every once in a while, when I’m in a restaurant, I’ll make a deal with the waiter or the waitress that’s serving me. I’ll ask them to keep what I am about to do very quiet, and then ask them if any of their customers seem like someone who’s having a really, really bad day. If they don’t have anyone, I ask them to check with the other servers until we find someone who just really seems to be having a bad day. Then I ask them to bring me that customer’s bill and I pay for that person’s meal and I leave before they ever find out that It was me who did it. The deal I make with the server is that they are not allowed to tell customer who it was. All the server is supposed to tell them is that somebody wanted them to have a better day. The most it has ever cost me was $100 for a table of four, and often it costs less than $20. A small investment that is my little way of “paying it forward”.

I truly don’t know how this is going to affect the person receiving the gift. But my intention is that these “good deeds” give them hope when they’re having a bad day.

Again, what I’d like you to do is to take a moment and think of three to four times in your life where someone has done small deeds or shared kind words that improved your day. Now, as you think of that experience notice if that had an impact on how you went about your day. When you become aware of how those little actions and a good deed have changed your life, you begin to become more aware of how you treat others.

The next thing I invite you to do is commit to doing two things in this next week out of a genuine desire to contribute to someone else. I also ask that you make one of these good deeds anonymous. Maybe you’re going to make a contribution to a stranger like giving a homeless person money. Or maybe you know somebody who is having a hard time financially, and you buy some food and leave it on their doorstep. There are so many things you can do. I suggest for this exercise that you do at least two things. One where you actually interact with the person. And the other where you do it anonymously.

I really look forward to hearing your feedback on how this exercise affects you or maybe how you notice your good deeds affect the other person.

I wish you the very best and look forward to seeing you again here soon.

Take Care.

Filed Under: Videos Tagged With: good deeds, Humor, kind words, tree power

Let’s Focus on Self Esteem – Final Part Temperance and Transcendence

January 7, 2010 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By Irene Conlan -

For the past week we have been taking a look at the six virtues and twenty four strengths identified by the Positive Psychology gurus as common to almost all cultures across the planet. The purpose of this has been to assess our own personal strengths and, giving us building blocks for our own personal growth and boosting our self esteem. For this to happen you have to do more than simply read the list – you need to ponder them and, with an open mind, see which ones apply to you and which ones do not.

Today, we look at the last two: temperance and transcendence.

Temperance

Temperance is translated as “easy does it, or: all things in modeation. According to Seligman it “refers to the appropriate and moderate expression of your appetites and wants.” (Authentic Happiness, p. 52). The strengths clustered under temperance are:

15. Self Control - We all know what this means. It is easy to say but not always so easy to do and it applies across the board. Can you moderate yourself with how much you eat and how much you drink or do you go “out of control” when you see your favorite dessert or join friends who have a keg of beer? Can you control your anger and not lash out when provoked? Can you bring yourself up when you’re having a “down day?” Can you stay positive when everything around you is going south? How do you respond when you are treated rudely?

16. Prudence/Discretion/Caution - Prudence keeps you from jumping – to conclusions, keeps you from jumping on the bandwagon before you know where the bandwagon is going, and often keeps you safe. You are able to keep from saying or doing things that you will regret later, make decisions that pay off long term if not short term, and helps you know when situations need caution. The prudent person listens to that inner voice that says, “danger,” “watch it,” and “be careful here.” How’s your prudence quotent?

17. Humility and Modesty – An old friend of mine used to say “You have to toot your own horn because no one else will” and he tooted his horn a lot – to the point that no one paid attention. The person with humility lets their accomplishments speak for themselves. They are unpretentious and, while recognizing their own abilities and strengths, see their victories and defeats as fairly unimportant. What about you? Do you, like a child, keep saying in various ways, “Look at me. See what I did” Do you get upset if the conversation isn’t about you and your accomplishments?

Transcendence -” the emotional strengths that reach outside and beyond you to connect you to someting larger and more permanent; to other people, to the future, to evolution, to the divine or to the universe. ” (Authentic Happiness, p. 154)

18. Appreciation and Excellence -Do you take time to stop and smell the flowers? Do you see beauty all around you and rejoice in excellence wherever you find it? Do you experience beauty and excellence with awe and wonder? Does a blazing sunset leave you speechless? Does witnessing acts of human kindness stir your spirit?

19. Gratitude - Are you aware of the good things that happen to you? Do you take them for granted? Do you take time to express your gratitude? In other words, is “Thank You” a major part of your vocabulary? Gratitude is an appreciation of someone else’s moral character. It is a sense of wonder, thankfulness, and appreciation for life itself and for all we have been given. Are you truly grateful for what is given to you and done for you or do you consider it something that others owe you? Are you grateful when others do well by you?

20. Hope/Optimism/Future-Mindedness – How’s your cup? Is it half empty or half full? Do you expect the best or do you expect the worst? Do you look to the future knowing you have done your best and expect the future to be even better than the past? Do you side with those who say, “Oh, no. The world is going to hell in a handbasket.”"? Do you you hold out hope to those around you?

21. Spirituality/Sense of Purpose/Faith/Religiousness – Do you have strong, clear beliefs about a higher purpose and the meaning of the universe? Do you know where you fit in the larger scheme of things? Do your beliefs shape your decisions and your actions? Are your beliefs a source of comfort for you? Can you articulate your beliefs, your philosophy of life? Can you articulate what you believe about God, humanity, the universe? Regardless of what that belief is, do you walk your talk?

22. Forgiveness and Mercy - Do you forgive those who have wronged you? Do you give people a second chance. Do you harbor a grudge or do you let it go? Is your guiding principle revenge or is it mercy? Do you understand that forgiveness benefits you the most? Do you understand that when you forgive, your tendencies regarding the transgressor becomes more positive?

23. Playfulness and -Humor - Can you see the light side of life? Do you bring laughter to other people’s lives? Are you playful? Are you funny? Can you laugh at your own foibles? Can you laugh out loud? Do you laugh a lot? ( I am reminded of a G.K. Chesterton quote. As a question it would be: Do you know why angels fly? Because they take themselves lightly.)

24. Zest, Passion, Enthusiasm – Do you throw yourself into the activities you undertake. Do you wake up excited about the new day? Do you say, “Good morning, God” or “Good God, it’s morning?” Are you excited about life and living? Do you meet challenges with enthusiasm? Do you inspire others?

So that’s the 24 strengths! Going through them, asking yourself the questions, did you gain any insights into your own strengths? Were there some surprises? I strongly urge you to go the the Positive Website and complete their survey on the strengths. http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx You will have immediate feedback. Knowing your strengths generally gives a boost to self esteem. These are things you are good at and can continue to develop.

Go for it.

Filed Under: Self Esteem Tagged With: enthusiasm, humility, Humor, self control, Self Esteem, transcendence

Videos to end one year and begin another

December 27, 2009 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

I know I don’t have to tell you that Thursday is the first day of 2010. Can you believe it? So this week’s videos are about ending one year and beginning another.

The first video is a “Happy New Year 2010 Video Poem ecard”

Are you yearning for a great New Year? You are not alone. Share this video poem about the New Year with someone you love. Lets get the word out together.

If you are watching this video after the week it is posted in the column on the right, click the like below to view it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdADZqjDGuc

The second video is a New Resolution Song.

We HAVE to start the new year with some humor. If there’s no laughter, well . . . it will be a very sad year if there is no laughter. The lyrics are below. If you’re tired of all the talk about New Year’s Resolutions, THIS IS FOR YOU. It’s not too late to start your 2010 out right.

If you decide to keep one resolution, make it this: Resolve to get our new album here: http://tinyurl.com/2arfy6

Follow us on Twitter to never miss new material!
Rhett: http://www.twitter.com/rhettmc
Link: http://www.twitter.com/linklamont

Lyrics

working out, losing weight
maybe using tanning spray
becoming more attractive in general

reading more, watching less
learning all the rules for chess
becoming somewhat smarter in general
eating fish, not fingernails
volunteer to save the whales
becoming a better guy in general
saving more, spending less
yes I will wax my chest
dating more girls in general

But not this year. No this year is different!
As different as a gazelle.
Yes, a gazelle from a deer.
(They’re actually not that different.)
After all these failed resolutions.
My future is clear, the future is near!
Just forget those resolutions you
know that you are never gonna do
and adopt a more realistical view
by committing to things that come easily to you
like eat at least one value meal a week
or put the correct shoes on the correct feet
just “Raise the bar to walk effortlessly underneath!”

Chorus2:
Just face the fact you’ve always thought
those resolutions don’t mean squat
Settle in to a comfortable spot
embrace all the things you know you are not.
Hit the snooze, roll over, then repeat
Make large purchases, then lose the receipts
just “Raise the bar to walk effortlessly underneath!”

If you are watching this video after the week it is posted in the column on the right, click the like below to view it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eOu-jVuuxo

Filed Under: Videos Tagged With: Humor, self improvement, Videos

Videos for the week of October 25

October 25, 2009 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

First Video - Earl Nightengale was the voice in the early 1950s of Sky King the hero of a radio adventure series, and was a WGN radio show host from 1950 to 1956. Author of the Strangest Secret, which economist Terry Savage has called “…One of the great motivational books of all time” In 1985, Nightingale was inducted into The Association of National Broadcasters, Radio Hall of Fame. During his lifetime, Nightingale wrote and recorded over 7,000 radio programs, 250 audio programs as well as television programs and videos. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Nightingale

This video is Show #228 of the 1970′s Earl Nightingale TV Show Our Changing World

If you want to watch the video after it’s week in the right column, click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfbYnYvaTDE

2nd Video: LAUGH OF THE WEEK - Headlines from the Jay Leno Show
I always thought this was the funniest part of his show and these are Jay Leno’s favorites over the last 16 years of the Tonight Show. They range from just really funny to a bit on the ragged edge. I hope they make you laugh.

If you want to watch the video after it’s week in the right column, click here:

http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/video/clips/best-of-headlines/1135821/?__cid=thefilter

Filed Under: Videos Tagged With: Earl Nightengale, fun, Humor, Jay Leno, laughter, Videos

Videos for the Week of September 20, 2009

September 20, 2009 By ireneconlan Leave a Comment

What is Optimism? -

Dr. Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Positive Psychology Center, and founder of the field of positive psychology, answers questions for users of happiness website happier.com. In this exclusive online video, expert Marty Seligman answers the questions: What is optimism? What is the difference between optimism and pessimism? What is the role of explanatory style?
If you are reading this after the week of 9/20/09 click below for the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6mQnJxEqsI

Just for Fun –
Terry Fator was ready to give up trying to make it as a ventriloquist when he won an audition on America’s Got Talent. He won First Place and went on to sign a $50M contract for a five year run at the Mirage in Las Vegas. Another success story. In this video Terry Fator and Kermit the Frog perform James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend”. Outstanding Ventriloquist and Impressionist performance.

If you are reading this after the week of 9/20/09 click below for the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eztcCT9e_jI

Filed Under: Videos Tagged With: Humor, martin seligman, optimism, terry fator, Videos

Tongue-in-Cheek (a bit of health humor)

September 14, 2009 By ireneconlan 1 Comment

By Irene Conlan -

I love this Doctor!

Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

A: Heart only good for so many beats, and that it… Don’t waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speed up heart not make live longer; that like say you can extend life of car by driving faster. Want live longer? Take nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does cow eat? Hay and corn. What are these? Vegetables. So, steak nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And pork chop can give 100% recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine. That means they take water out of fruity bit; get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: If you have body and you have fat, ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, ratio is two to one, etc

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Cannot think of single one, sorry. My philosophy: No Pain…Good!

Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU NOT LISTENING!!! …. Foods fried in vegetable oil. How getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only do sit-ups if want bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: You crazy? HELLO … Cocoa beans! Vegetable!!! Cocoa beans best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming good for figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! ‘Round’ is shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

AND…

For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health. It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies:

1. The Japanese eat very little fat – And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat – And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine – And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4 The Italians drink a lot of red wine – And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats – And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION…..

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Filed Under: New Stuff Tagged With: health, Humor, self improvement

Mental Health Maintenance Is Made Simple

March 18, 2009 By Guest Contributor 1 Comment

By Cliff Kuhn, M.D. -

Your mental health is often drastically improved when you use the techniques Dr. Kuhn teaches in this article. When you are able to experience this improvement, your relationships blossom, career paths open, and people find you attractive and accessible. You deserve to have fun and joy in your life – and Cliff Kuhn, M.D. will help you do that.

In the classic Frank Capra film, It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey’s mental health is overwhelmed by the difficulties of his life and he wishes he’d never been born. George’s guardian angel grants his wish and takes him to a grim reality as it would’ve been without him. George feels nothing when he reaches into his coat pocket to retrieve the flower his daughter, Zuzu, placed there – and that’s when George knows that his wish has come true…he’s never been born.

Wishing she had never been born, Roberta became my patient, seeking desperately to improve her mental health. Like the fictional George Bailey character, Roberta’s depression and anxiety had grown so strong as to threaten her ability to lead any semblance of a normal life. Fortunately for Roberta, she soon discovered exactly why the natural medicine of humor is one of the most powerful adjunctive treatments for improving mental health, because humor literally pours water on the fire of depression and anxiety.

Roberta is not alone. As many as 35% of all Americans suffer from depression and anxiety, the twins that make mental health elusive for millions. Your depression and anxiety is exacerbated by your seriousness – taking yourself too seriously. As we move into adulthood, we unfortunately buy into the notion that responsible and productive people must be “serious.” As we make the biggest mistake of our lives and relegate our humor nature and fun to recreational activities (if we experience fun at all), we doom ourselves to all the symptoms of the corresponding seriousness that fills the void – declining health, rising stress, increased pain, lessened energy, impaired creativity, and more.

The good news for your mental health, however, is that we know how to shrink your deadly seriousness to practically nothing and reduce almost completely the sway it holds over your health, vitality, wellness, and zest. The natural medicine of humor is an incredibly powerful resource that you already possess; you’ve only forgotten how to use it to maximum effectiveness. You will soon discover that, while not a panacea, the natural medicine of humor is a tremendous tonic for depression or anxiety and will also supercharge other treatments because it is an amazing adjunctive medicine too!

I have distilled the natural medicine of humor, through my years of medical practice, into an amazing prescription I call The Fun Factor. Based on what I learned over twenty years ago from a terminally ill fifteen-year-old patient, I created a unique set of principles I call the Fun Commandments, then forged these Commandments into my Fun Factor prescription and have been prescribing The Fun Factor with great success for years. This report will show you how to use just three of my Fun Commandments to turn your mental health around, and gain new joy, pleasure, and appreciation from your life!

Improve Your Mental Health Using My Fun Factor Prescription

Step One: Always Go the Extra Smile

The first Fun Commandment I recommend for improved mental health is: Always Go the Extra Smile. This Commandment is doubly helpfully for depression and anxiety because not only does it provide measurable emotional and physical relief, but it also is completely under your control – regardless of your circumstances. Because smiling remains totally under your control, it can be your greatest resource for using humor’s natural medicine to accelerate your mental health.

Smiling produces measurable physical benefits you can experience immediately: your stress decreases, your immunity improves, your pain and frustration tolerances increase, and your creativity soars. And guess what? You experience all these benefits even if your smile is “fake.” That’s right…forcing a smile onto your face perks up your immune system and lightens your mood just as readily as a genuine smile. Fake a smile and you’ll soon feel well enough to wear a real one!

This is great news for your proactive stance on sustainable mental health. You have an amazing amount of pre-emptive control over your mood – you can, literally, choose more energy and happiness. The key for your use of this Fun Commandment in enhancing your mental health is to start practicing right now, so that smiling becomes an entrenched, habitual method of accessing the natural medicine of humor. If you wait to smile until your mental health has taken a turn for the worse, and depression or anxiety has taken hold of you, it will not be as effective.

Step Two: Act and Interact

Smiling leads us right into the second Fun Commandment you’ll find instrumental in maintaining your mental health: Act and Interact. Humor’s natural medicine works best when we are sharing ourselves and this Commandment will teach you how to capitalize on the control you’ve taken over your physiology and mood by smiling. Acting and interacting is now easier for you to do because you’re smiling more. Not only is your mood improved, but your smile is also a pleasant invitation to other people.

My suggestion is that you solidify the power of this Commandment by setting a reasonable goal regarding the number of people you will interact with each day. These social interactions are great for your mental health, forcing you to exchange information and ideas with another person. Combined with your commitment to smiling, your interactions should be pleasant, because your heightened energy, lessened pain, and lowered stress levels are very attractive to others.

Beyond keeping you out of isolation, there is another reason why acting and interacting with the people you encounter fosters improved mental health. It allows you to avoid spiritual “flat tires.” Spiritual flat tires occur when you sidestep, or avoid, an interaction that is about to happen naturally – you duck into an office to avoid encountering someone in a hallway or you don’t answer the phone because you don’t want to talk to the person calling. This type of avoidance drains and deletes your reservoir of powerful natural energy and siphons your mental health reserves.

Have you ever noticed that it usually takes you twice as much mental and physical energy to avoid doing a job than you would have expended just doing it? It also takes twice the energy to avoid acting and interacting with the people who cross your path because you are, in effect, saying, “I’m going to correct the mistake that nature made by putting this person in my path and I’m going to correct it by being mentally and spiritually negligent.” Mental and spiritual negligence have the same effect as physical negligence (isn’t it strange how you get tired if you don’t exercise?). If your mental health can afford to allow this much energy to be drained, then you have a much bigger reservoir than I!

But spiritual flat tires do more than drain our energy, they are detrimental in at least two additional ways:

We miss out on an interaction with a teacher. If nature didn’t have a lesson for you, that person you just avoided would not have been placed in your path. You say that the person you just avoided was a negative influence or would’ve wasted your time? I know we have legitimate schedules to keep, but if I am avoiding people based on my prejudgment of them, I’m cutting myself off from my greatest teachers – those very same people.
We all learn tolerance from the intolerant, patience from the impatient, temperance from the intemperate, gentleness from the ruffian, etc. I am supremely grateful for those teachers and the lessons they give me.

We create a small, nagging spiritual void of dishonesty, the kind of dishonesty that keeps us from laying our heads down with complete peace of mind each night. Our spiritual flat tire is caused by the pothole our avoidance created; it is a natural consequence, or symptom, of our spiritual dishonesty. These consequences clutter our lives with mental and emotional baggage that further drains us of our energy and vitality.

Step Three: Celebrate Everything

The third Fun Commandment which will help you use the natural medicine of humor to charge up your mental health is: Celebrate Everything. Celebrating everything may sound like a monumental task to someone who’s mental health isn’t up to par, but you will find this part of my doctor’s orders much easier to fulfill once you start practicing my first two Commandments. In fact, celebrating everything is more than a maintenance step providing sustainable mental health. It will also become your lifestyle, the more you practice it, because you will enjoy the results so much.

How do you celebrate everything and how will this keep your mental health on the upswing? The epitome of this Commandment is found in the old joke about the boy who wanted a pony for his birthday. Instead, he found a room full of manure waiting for him. But he dove right into the dung, gleefully exclaiming, “With all this manure, there’s got to be a pony in here somewhere!”

Laugh as we might, we’re quick to remember that, as adults, we would never allow ourselves such “naive” enthusiasm. Why not? Do you realize what is behind such a “grown up,” “mature” decision? Your deadly seriousness (taking yourself too seriously) encourages the attitude that a mature adult should not let herself be so optimistic and thus mental health is jeopardized.

We could do more than chuckle at this birthday boy’s unabashed optimism – we should emulate it! When was the last time you encountered an unexpected pile of manure in your life? You had absolutely no control over the mess, right? But you had absolute control over your reaction to it and this is the key to using celebration to keep your mental health improved!

When you celebrate everything, the natural medicine of humor creates spiritual, emotional, and mental health like nothing you’ve felt before. You will find that your fears become much less controlling when you are celebrating everything because it no longer matters so much how things turn out. In fact, you are literally ready for anything because you are prepared to find the blessing in whatever happens.

My daughter-in-law, for example, broke her back last year. My son, who is often my model for the embodiment of my Fun Commandments, can tick off a laundry list of blessings his family has received as a direct result of his wife’s “tragedy.” Not that his mental health hasn’t been challenged, but faced with the choice of depression and anxiety over an event he couldn’t control versus finding the blessings waiting for him, he has chosen the latter.

The choice to celebrate everything is not a panacea; my son’s choice did not change the reality of his wife’s injury. What did change, however, was his ability to respond to the injury and, thus, keep his mental health on an even keel. Celebrating everything changes our lives because it allows us to positively control the only things we have control over – our actions, ideas, and attitudes.

There you have it. Start by going the extra smile, use your newfound smiling energy and vitality to act and interact with people, and celebrate everything to maintain your positive momentum. Say good-bye to imprisonment from depression and anxiety and welcome to your new world of improved mental health!
Start Using The Fun Factor to Improve Your Mental Health…Right Now

Here are some simple, easy steps you can take right now to turbo-charge your mental health.

Subscribe to my Fun Times newsletter. The Fun Times is all about using your natural power of humor to increase the quality of your life – including your mental health. The Fun Times is 100% free, and is delivered instantly, every week, to your email inbox. If you sign up now, I’ll also throw in a copy of my “Stop Your Seriousness” Ecourse and my book, Ten Ways You Can Be Happier…Right Now! which will show you how you can use my Fun Factor prescription in your life to increase your mental health!

Check out The Fun Factor. This prescription has changed so many lives for the better – it would be a shame if you passed it up. Check it out here if you’re sick of wishing for mental health and want to finally achieve your greatest mental health!

My patient Roberta, by the way, learned to use these three Fun Commandments – and the rest of my Fun Factor prescription. She has enjoyed the same job for three years now and was recently engaged to be married. Roberta occasionally has setbacks, as most people suffering from depression or anxiety do. But, her mental health has never been stronger as she continues to apply The Fun Factor to her life.

In It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is so shocked by the grim vision of a world without him that he decides he wants to live again and begs to return. He knows he is back when he finds Zuzu’s flower petals in his coat pocket again.

Let this article be like finding Zuzu’s petals. Move forward today with a new, positive outlook on your improved mental health by using my Fun Factor prescription.

Clifford Kuhn, M.D., America’s Laugh Doctor, teaches people and organizations to be more healthy and successful through the use of fun and humor. A psychiatrist, and the former associate chairperson of the University of Louisville’s renowned Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Kuhn now dispenses his prescription for turbo-charging your health, success, and vitality from http://www.natural-humor-medicine.com/EZA3 On his website you will find tons of fun, free ways for you to maximize your sense of humor, and enjoy a life others will envy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cliff_Kuhn,_M.D.

Filed Under: Emotional Health, Health, Intellectual Health Tagged With: Humor, laughter, mental health, Self Improvement

The Power of Laughter: Managing Change with a Sense of Humor

March 15, 2009 By Guest Contributor 1 Comment

By Carla Rieger -

Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves, for we shall never cease to be amused. – Anon

Anyone Can Re-Gain a Sense of Humor

Often the first thing to go when you are stressed out is your sense of humor. I lost mine at the tender age of 23. I was working two part-time jobs and going to university full time. One day a mentor remarked to me that I acted like a 45-year old funeral director. It stopped me in my tracks. She said it was because I acted so serious. I thought if I’m this serious now, what am I really going to be like in 20 years? I decided to change the course of history. I immersed myself in humor – books, movies, cartoons, clowning workshops, stand up, comedy improvisation. After a few years I noticed my personality totally changed. I seemed to handle chaos and stress with much more ease. I was less judgmental and more compassionate. I was less anxious and more self-confident. And, quite frankly, I was more popular. There is a great saying that goes “lighten up and your network will grow because people will be attracted by the light.”

Find the Balance Between Work and Play

Lightening up is a stress management tool. Financial planners suggest giving 10% of your paycheque to yourself to build up savings over time. It can be the same with your energy. If you take 10% of your day and renew yourself, you build up your energy bank account. Thus, when “shift happens”, you’ve got some energy in your bank account to deal with it. If you have let it run dry, that’s when burn out starts to happen. Fun is one of the best and quickest ways to renew your vital energy.

Laughter is THE Cerebral Laxative

Laughter is our God-given way to simply let go of excess fecal thought matter and get back to peace of mind. Within 10 minutes of a good belly laugh incredible health benefits start to kick in. For example, your blood pressure goes down, your thymus gland enlarges (improving your immune system), your breathing deepens, your liver more easily processes adrenaline, endorphins (the body’s natural painkiller) course through your system, plus a whole lot more. It’s quicker, better and less expensive than going to a spa.

Roller Coaster Therapy

If you tend to hold onto negativity perhaps you need to ride the roller coaster. I used to hate the roller coaster. I held on white-knuckled to the handle bar. After it was over I usually had to throw up. I used to envy people who seemed to love riding the roller coaster. They often held their arms in the air instead of clutching the bar. I decided to try riding the roller coaster – no hands – and discovered that I enjoyed it so much more. Plus I didn’t feel sick afterwards. Fun, laughter and humor help you let go of the handlebar of life more easily so that you enjoy the whole ride. Because life will always bring you change, bring you up and bring you down, then up again. The best way to manage change is to keep your sense of humor very handy in your stress management toolkit.

Just remember, as Donald Zochert once said, Love may make the world go around, but it’s laughter that keeps us from getting dizzy.

Carla Rieger is an expert on creative people skills at work. If you want a motivational speaker, trainer, or leadership coach to help you stay on the creative edge, contact Carla Rieger.

Web site: http://www.carlarieger.com

Tel: 1-866-294-2988

Email carla@carlarieger.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carla_Rieger

Filed Under: Happiness, Self Esteem Tagged With: healing, Humor, laughter, Self Improvement

Let Humor Keep You Well

March 11, 2009 By Guest Contributor 1 Comment

By Audrey L Pihulyk -

Our bodies are intricately designed, so that when a breakdown occurs in one area, due to stress, it can have an adverse effect on other parts of our body. Stress really is the body’s reaction to a demand made upon it. Unfortunately, stress is all around us and we do not have to look far to find stressed-out people, whether at work or at home.

In these fast-paced days there are increasingly heavy demands being placed on our emotional and physical well-being. Because of these demands we at times may break down and give in to the emotions of fear and anger, resulting in rigidity of thinking and behaviour. At this stage we may begin to feel like things are out of control, precipitating paranoid thinking.

Thankfully, there is one important antidote that has been shown to provide relief from this dilemma, which if utilized wisely can restore us back to productive living. I’m speaking of humour, or more specifically, playfulness and laughter.

Dr. Kenneth Pelltier, author of Longevity: Fulfilling Our Biological Potential, travelled to Pakistan, the Sudan, Mexico and other areas to study the secrets of longevity among people who claimed to be 120 to 150 years old. His study revealed that many of these people possessed similar traits, the most striking of which were their vigour, humor and love of life. Many of us, too, have acquaintances who, though up in years, also possess the same joyful attitude as those found in Pelltier’s study. Gathering from this, therefore, we can assume that integrating humor into our everyday life experiences can contribute much to our health and long life.

Our physiological make-up as human beings has three components: the mind, the emotions and the body. The mind is the rudder that directs our emotions which in turn directs our subsequent actions. When the mind operates at or above its potential, it increases our mental flexibility, giving us the capacity to think clearly and creatively, while at the same time enabling us to block out negative emotions. This can give us a shift in perspective, enabling us to see humor in just about anything, even in mistakes and failures. To see humour in this way is helpful to those who deal with life-and-death situations, helping them stay sane and flexible even in the midst of unpleasant circumstances.

With change occurring rapidly around us, we cannot afford to be caught in mental ruts. Change and adaptation are the mode of the day. Fortunately, humor brings incongruity; that is, we get the opposite of what we expected, giving us the needed shift in perspective.

Looking at potential stressful situations with a humorous eye is what it is all about. At a crowded event a quadriplegic friend of mine, while in his wheelchair, quipped, “At least I can always find a seat in a crowded auditorium.”

Have you ever sat down to tackle a project and then experienced a mental block? After taking a few minutes for a break, possibly a musical interlude, looking out the window, or physically stretching your mental block disappeared and you were able to finish the task.
In his book, Humor Works, Dr. John Morreall tells of how humor helped turn around the fortunes of the Xerox Company. Management decided to set up a project to be housed in a dilapidated warehouse which they named Skunk Works. The employees were instructed to leave the building in its broken-down state, to come and go as they pleased, and wear whatever they wished. All the usual office restrictions were lifted, and their only task was to be creative and innovative, and have fun at the same time. Projects were given humorous names such as “Bulldog” and “Chainsaw.” The employees were relaxed, creative and productive. Amazingly, through this change of perspective, and even without the usual rules and leadership of an authoritarian boss, Skunk Works managed to succeed in saving Xerox Company millions in research dollars.

In addition to the mental and emotional benefits mentioned, humor also benefits a person’s physical being. In 1960, Dr. William Fry of Stanford Medical School began studying the physical benefits of humour. His study and others like it, show that laughter is very beneficial in reducing the levels of physical pain. He also found that laughter gives the muscles of the upper body a workout that releases six times more oxygen into the lungs than talking alone. Another benefit is the increased blood circulation which occurs through laughter. In fact, Dr. Fry stated that twenty seconds of hearty laughter gives the heart the same exercise as three minutes of hard rowing.

In his book, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by a Patient, Norman Cousins wrote of his own journey from an illnessâ¬”in which the connective tissue of his spine was disintegratingâ¬”to full recovery. By his own admission, he had made himself sick from overwork. Scrutinizing his lifestyle, he began to make some changes. One key decision he made was to let loose his laughing spirit. As he watched humorous videos and visited with humorous friends, he found that ten minutes of belly laughter brought him two hours of pain-free sleep. Gradually, through laughter and other lifestyle changes, he regained his health and became free from the devastating disease.

An incident that I experienced recently brought home the value of humor in reducing stress and maintaining optimum health. Six months ago, I encountered a number of deadlines that needed to be met in a very short time, almost impossible for even two people to meet. Nevertheless I pushed on, developing in the process a severe headache that no medication in the house could relieve. With my head pounding, as if it was about to explode, I sat on the couch, petted the family dog and watched the children play nearby. In this relaxed state I soon became detached from my problems, felt the stress lift and my headache disappear.

As we can see, it is important to disengage our minds in stressful moments from what is troubling us and allow humor and playfulness to take over. Remember, laughing about something will help you from getting stressed about it. It even states in the Bible, “A merry heart does good like a medicine,” a good motto to follow indeed.

Audrey Pihulyk is Nurse Audrey, the “stress specialist”, who brings you stress relief through her speaking, writing and entertaining. She uses her years of experience as a practical nurse and professional speaker to help you “flush out” negative stress, replacing it with a healthy “infusion” of proven strategies and thought provoking ideas to help you mobilize stress for creative purposes. Her audiences say the she is “real”, what you see is what you get! When it comes to stress and balancing your life – Nurse Audrey has been there and done that!

Check out http://www.nurseaudrey.com/resources.html and order a great CD on how to become a successful stress manager. While you are there check out my Blogs for ideas on how to balance your life more effectively.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Audrey_L_Pihulyk

Filed Under: Emotional Health, Health, Physical Health Tagged With: health, Humor, self improvement, self help

Videos for the Week of February 21, 2010

Videos for the First Week in February

Let’s Focus on Self Esteem – Final Part Temperance and Transcendence

Videos to end one year and begin another

Videos for the week of October 25

Videos for the Week of September 20, 2009

Tongue-in-Cheek (a bit of health humor)

Mental Health Maintenance Is Made Simple

The Power of Laughter: Managing Change with a Sense of Humor

Let Humor Keep You Well

Lipstick and The Leash

An Interview with Christopner “Divinity” Dines

News and Other New Stuff

Listen to Yvonne Perry’s interview with Gaetano Vivo today at 2:55 CDT

Someone You Should Know

Book Reviews

The Oneness Gospel: Birthing the Christ Consciousness and Divine Human in You. A Review

Alpha Chick: Five Steps for Moving from Pain to Power. A Review

Irene’s Articles

Cleaning out the clutter

Let’s put “Self” Back in Self Improvement