Have you ever ended an intense argument with laughter? Been there, done that, more than once. I believe each time I'm the one who started laughing, as I realized suddenly that the intensity of the argument didn't match the seriousness of the subject. I know I did it with my first husband, probably with one of my kids too. I'm the one who started laughing. The other person was stunned for a moment, then started laughing too. I'm talking genuine, hearty laughter that's contagious. It totally breaks the tension immediately. When I could speak again of course I explained but by then the other person had totally gotten it & also realized how ridiculous the argument was. Genuine, heartfelt laughter totally breaks stress immediately & is so good for you. There are all kinds of studies & things you can read on the value of laughter but I've just given you a graphic example.
Do you have enough laughter & play in your life? I know I don't. I've really struggled with the subject of play as an adult. For one thing, I live alone & have spent most of the last 12 years largely alone. I sometimes laugh at the antics of my cats but more often I tend to get annoyed instead. There just aren't that many opportunities for genuine laughter in my life, as is true for most of us. So I suggest that we create them, & make the most of them. Last night I accidentally spit on one of my cats. She was straddling the bathroom sink as I finished brushing my teeth & it turns out I had one more spit in me. I tried to get under her but it landed on her & she took off in a flash. When I thought about it, I began laughing & realized it needed to go into today's blog. The more I thought about writing that I spit on my cat, the funnier it became to me & I made sure I really laughed about it each time. I also laugh every time I tell the story of the times she fell head first into the toilet. I love telling the story, & those who have met her (Breezy) usually hear about it. She used to almost literally fly everywhere. She was about 5 months old when I adopted her from a no-kill shelter/foster home situation, & she was the highest energy cat I've ever known. I wish I could have seen her as a little kitten! She never walked anywhere - she flew everywhere. She was so fast that you wouldn't see her until she was there - truly. Now I keep the toilet lids closed except when in use so the timing was amazing. I don't shut them out of the bathroom because they like constant access to me & I understand that they hate shut doors with me behind them. I do it as little as possible. Anyway, on 2 - 3 occasions she came flying into the bathroom & up onto the toilet, used to the lid being down. But she did this as the lid was on its way down, hit the rim, & went in head first at great speed. I'm laughing even as I write this because it's just too funny. After the 2nd or 3rd time she finally learned. Meanwhile, you've never seen a cat scramble, right itself, & get out of there as fast as she did. She's like a seal so she was dry in no time, by the time I'd see her next a few minutes later. And she certainly wasn't harmed. Hopefully you're laughing by now too. Anyway, take every opportunity you can for genuine laughter, to laugh out loud. All the years I barely cried I also barely laughed. They're linked. So laugh all you can, by yourself or with others. Make opportunities to laugh. We we laugh we don't take anything too seriously, bust stress, diffuse situations.
We also need to play as adults, & understand the difference between true play & just enjoying activities. If you like bubble baths, play with the bubbles. If you aren't playing with the bubbles it's not play, just an enjoyable activity. If you bowl in a league you probably aren't playing, you're competing. If you go out & bowl with a few friends you enjoy on occasion, you're playing if you actually like to bowl & like the friends. Anything you're doing for pure fun can be play, & many things we enjoy are not play. I love knitting but it's not play. I love painting - it's my bliss. Sometimes it's play, sometimes it's more serious. It depends on how free I feel & how attached I am to the results. It can be relaxing & rewarding either way but is only play if I'm free & not attached to results. You can play games with your kids & not really be getting self benefit from play. Same with games with your friends. Playing solitaire or Facebook games is usually not really play, but playing cards with friends can be play (or not, when serious like Bridge can be). Personally, I have several games that I can play on my own that are pure play, like a home version of Whack-A-Mole. I'm a child & I love to play. But I realize that I have very little play in my life, & that I need to include more. Usually it's hard to truly play by yourself, but you can find others online who like to play games you do. I'm going to seek those who like to play cards & games & set up get-togethers. Even shopping can be play if you do it with a great friend & the main objective is time together rather than shopping.
So get creative. I'd also like for you to share with me here ways you truly play & create reasons to laugh. If you need ideas or need help with what's play & what's not, I'd be glad to help. The universe wants us to play & laugh & be truly happy. If you put the intent out there, you'll be aided.
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