Sunday, January 9, 2005

Neither Rain Nor Heat Nor Gloom Of Night Will Keep The Natural Medicine Of Humor From Making You Happy And Healthy

Have you ever considered how lucky we are that for a mere $.37 we can have mail delivered to almost anyone, almost anywhere in the United States? And the mail delivery and pick up is included in the price! Outside of federal holidays, the mail even comes regardless of the weather - hence the U.S. Postal Service motto: "Neither rain nor heat or gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

But did you know that the Postal Service doesn't actually have a motto? More on this later...

Celebrating Everything is important enough to your health and success that I've made it one of my Fun Commandments. I invite you to learn all about my Fun Commandments, and my unique Fun Factor prescription they form, for free on my website. Starting today, you can use the natural medicine of humor to find energy, zest, health, and vitality you thought was forever a childhood memory.

The epitome of celebrating everything 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 , however, 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 would never let herself be so optimistic.

But we should do more than chuckle at this birthday boy's unabashed optimism - we should emulate it! When is 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!

When you celebrate everything, the natural medicine of humor creates mental, emotional, and spiritual health in us like nothing you've felt before. You will find that your fears become much less controlling when you are celebrating everything because you it doesn't matter so much how things turn out anymore. 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 he's been without stress or struggle, but faced with the choice of resentment and anger 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 my son's choice did change, however, was his ability to respond to the injury. Celebrating everything changes our lives because it allows us to positively control the only things we have control over - our actions, ideas, and attitudes.

Here are two methods to instill the habit of celebrating everything:


  • Make a point to say "thank you" to someone everyday. This works best if you appreciate someone who largely goes unnoticed because celebration is one half gratitude. Cultivate gratitude and you're halfway to making each day a celebration.


  • Listen for the sounds of laughter all around you. If you are intent on hearing it, you will notice over twenty variations...and you will notice a lot of it! The other half of celebration is joy and listening for laughter focuses you on the existing joy all around you.



By the way, that famous quote assigned to the Postal Service comes from the Greek historian Herodotus and was written about the mounted postal couriers of ancient Persia. It was the architects designing the New York City post office who placed the message along the top of the building - most likely because there exist no other quotes regarding mail service!

But if you start making a commitment to celebrate everything, you'll find that neither rain nor heat nor gloom of night will keep you from gratitude and joy. And a state of gratitude and joy unleashes humor's natural medicine like nothing else! See you at my website.

Cliff Kuhn, M.D.
The Laugh Doctor

The Natural Medicine of Humor
"Discover a unique, FREE, and incredibly powerful prescription created out of desperation by a (formerly) stressed-out Kentucky psychiatrist"

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