by Outreach Of Hope
Okay, you admit it: your funny bone hasn't had a good workout lately, and you don't know where to start to whip it into shape. Never fear, start with a few sets of the following exercises, and soon your funny bone will be in championship form!
1. Start a comedy collection." Funny cartoons, jokes, and emails are an abundant resource. Make it a habit to post your favorites in a prominent place such as above your desk or on the refrigerator where they will be an ongoing source of amusement.
2. Get your groceries and a chuckle. Next time you're in the grocery store, check out (yes, the bad pun is intended) those not-so-factual magazine headlines while you're waiting in line. You never know what good-for-grins trivia you'll learn about aliens, Elvis, or babies as large as the state of Vermont!
3. Hang out at the greeting card racks. Some greeting cards are real side-splitters! Take a break and read a dozen or so. When you're through chuckling, consider buying the funniest ones and sending them to someone else who needs a good laugh.
4. Make a conscious decision not to complain, gripe, or bellyache. Focusing on the negative has a cascading effect: negative thoughts produce a negative countenance, then negative speech, then negative actions. A negative focus can blind us to the humor that's right under our noses.
5. Become a "humorous people" groupie. Some people actually have a talent for humor, so spend time with them and enjoy! Humor is a gift that is meant to be shared and, like the common cold, it's highly contagious.
6. Choose an attitude of thankfulness. Regardless of our circumstances, there are always things for which we can (and ought to) be thankful. As we begin to thank God for the specific things that touch our hearts, our focus shifts from ourselves to Him-and that's a much better view!
7. Make the most of those embarrassing moments. An embarrassing moment is nothing more than the imperfection of our humanity on display. If we are able to laugh at our failings rather than trying to cover them up or run from them, we'll find much more to laugh about.
8. Contact the manufacturer. When an appliance doesn't work as it should, we take it back to the manufacturer for repair. So if your funny bone is out-of-whack, consider contacting the manufacturer. Our Creator wants us to have His joy. Jesus said, "I have told you this that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete (John 15:11). Sometimes we need His help, so He has given us His operating instructions (the Bible) and His technical support hotline (prayer).
9. Just do it! Learning to see humor in life requires us to exercise our humor muscles. So go ahead, laugh 'till it hurts! Like everything else in life, the more you do it, the better you get!"
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