“Unhappiness comes when you muddy up your mix – trying to play tennis by the rules of golf might be funny, but it’s not very productive.”
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans from Designing your WORK life
Song: Next Life by ROSIE
Article: Why We Laugh by Sophie Scott
Thought: Some friends and I had a supper club dinner where we each brought a dish and hung out together. We played Ester Perel’s game called “Where Should We Begin?” which is an apples-to-apples style game where you each toss in a card with a prompt for the person to answer. It was a great way to get to know one another better but the thing that stood out to me was the laughter. Laughter alters our dopamine and serotonin levels – the bodies “feel-good” chemicals. It’s hard to overstate how much I have missed being with people just laughing. In the past two years, those instances have been more rare. Zoom/Teams are not the same kind of laughter as seeing the full body laughter that comes from a misplaced word or self deprecating story in person. This week, I’ll get to spend time with people at a professional event and do the same – smile, laugh, enjoy the shared experience. Laughter ignites a passion in me to be creative. If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that I can’t live without being in a room filled with laughter. And maybe to wash my hands more.
Even as an introvert, I need that in person contact. There is no replacement for the joy and healing powers of laughter.