Laughter in the Middle of Chaos

The last few years have been hard; the world is in chaos. Our lives have been turned upside down. Our jobs have been disrupted, technology has alienated us from each other, our politics are crazy, we’re still struggling with the effects of the pandemic, and the economy is collapsing. Everything seems out of control, and we are stressed.

Yet did you know that we have been given a built-in stress control device? A tool for putting our lives in perspective, a way of connecting with others, a path to joy. It’s called laughter.

Close your eyes and think: When was the last time you woke up deliriously happy and excited to greet the day?

Remember when running around in the summer with the sun on your skin was enough to make you happy? Remember when you thought you could change the world?

You weren’t put on this earth to be beaten, downtrodden, defeated, and burdened. If you woke up this morning, you have something to be happy about.

Life is crazy, and you might as well be crazy right along with it. You may be mad that Kylie Jenner is a billionaire, and you’re not quite sure what she does. Well, at least I’m not sure. But you just need to laugh about it and all the other crazy things that happen in life and move on.

Now, you’re probably thinking, when you’re in the midst of despair, how do you find the energy and presence of mind to laugh?

Dr. Joe Robinson, in his book Don’t Miss Your Life: Find More Joy and Fulfillment Now, says the answer is play.

When laughter and play become a part of your life, you will learn to live and find joy in the moment. You will reclaim your power. You will reclaim your joy.

You don’t have to let frustration, stress, overwhelm, and misery keep you from finding a bit of joy in your life.

Laughter can change a negative mood into a positive one. Play can help you come up with creative solutions to problems.

In their book The Resilient Self: How Survivors of Troubled Families Rise Above Adversity, Steven J. Wolin and Sybil Wolin say creativity and humor help people survive difficult life experiences. They say if you’re laughing about your situation and creating new ways of being, you’re not being a victim. Even if we can’t laugh at our circumstances, it can still help to laugh.

So, amid life’s craziness, choose to laugh.