I think everyone should have a recording of a child
laughing. Although we adults often chastise the younger
humans in our lives for giggling inappropriately, the
reality is that kids really know how to access joy and they
readily give themselves permission to have fun. When
children think something is funny, everyone around them
knows it…and their laughter is contagious!

We first laugh at about two months of age and by the time we
are four years old we are laughing at the rate of about one
chuckle every five minutes. Then, somewhere along the path
to adulthood, an amazing thing happens. We become much too
sophisticated to laugh so indiscriminately. We become
“groan”-ups and spend more time looking for reasons to worry
than we spend looking for reasons to rejoice. In order to
appear proper and professional, we monitor our laughter and
silliness and make sure we only display it at appropriate
times; for instance, when we’re intoxicated. Basically, some
adults, on a daily basis, give the appearance of having
their pants in a bunch…..a condition which doesn’t do
anything but make them walk funny and look miserable. But,
we often think that look will make us seem more mature.

Trust me…there IS an elf in yoursELF. Somewhere in there,
is that little kid you used to be….the one who kept
bubbles in your school desk…not the antacid that may today
be in your desk at work. The problem with grownups is that
we tend to separate work and play. We feel that if we are
having a good time while we are working, we will give the
impression that we’re not taking our work seriously.
Actually, play is an integral part of the thinking process
because it breaks down mental barriers and opens the rivers
of creativity. The word silly comes from the old English
word saelig, meaning happy and blessed. I’m not advocating
wearing moose antlers to a board meeting…but there is a
happy medium. If you don’t have an emergency laughter kit in
your drawer, think about getting one. Stick in some bubbles,
a clown nose, a yo-yo, a little notebook of jokes, cartoons
or funny stories, and anything else non-alcoholic that will
break the tension when the stress snakes begin to strike.

If you have forgotten how to play, never fear because it’ll
come back to you. If you’ve been grumpy for a long time,
your inner child might not want to hang out with you at
first, but once you abandon the rigidity and the constipated
lizard look on your face, the elf in yoursELF will pop out.
Don’t worry about your dignity because there is a difference
between being childISH and childLIKE. Aim for childlike!
You’ll be glad you did and so will everyone around you!

Linda Henley-Smith
“For the Good Times” Programs

www.lindahenley-smith.com
(800)325-2844