I heard a funny joke the other day. I thought I’d share it with you.
Three ministers were enjoying a day of fishing together. They were in a small boat in the middle of a lake. It was a beautiful day and quite relaxing.
Recognizing how secluded it was, one of the ministers said, “Since we’re out here all alone and no one can hear us, let’s tell each other our deepest, darkest secret. You in?” The other ministers both agreed and felt it might be a bit of relief to be able to admit to their darkest secret to someone they could trust.
The first minister spoke up, “I’ll start. I like to gamble. Sometimes I sneak out late at night and go to the casino.”
The second minister jumped right in. He said, “I cheat on my taxes. I don’t know why, but sometimes I find it exciting to hedge a little on my deductions.“
It was the third minister’s turn, but he just sat there in silence. The other two ministers began to chide him and reminded him that he had agreed to participate. Finally, he said sheepishly, “My darkest secret is I love to gossip, and I can’t wait to get off this boat!”
I realize this has nothing to do with Myasthenia Gravis, but it makes me chuckle and chuckling is a very good thing. Laughter’s not only physically good for us, but it’s mentally good for us, as well. It can relieve stress, act as a natural painkiller, boost our immune system and improve our cardiovascular health. Laughter can also reduce anxiety, enhance our mood and improve relaxation.
Here’s something I didn’t realize about laughter. Using my friend at ChatGPT, I learned laughter can increase our creativity and problem-solving skills by improving our out-of-the-box thinking. It can also help improve memory. We tend to remember some jokes better than others. That’s usually because we can either relate to the subject matter or because we found them especially funny.
My mother loved jokes, but she could never remember the punchlines. She would write a joke down on paper in cursive and then write the punchline in shorthand so none of us could read it before she had a chance to tell the joke. Those were fun times.
Tell someone a joke today. Watch how it immediately improves their mood. Also observe how laughing together helps strengthen your relationship.
Laughter is a powerful, free and universal tool that promotes health, happiness and connections with others. Bringing more humor and laughter into our lives can significantly boost our over-all health. No co-pays, no deductibles; just free medicine and sometimes the best medicine at that.
Let’s do more laughing.