H is for "ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Did you know that it takes the same amount of energy to laugh as it does to cry?

An old theater/voice exercise, which I learned in my (third) college goes like this:

First, begin laughing.Then change into crying. Then change again and begin laughing. Continue as long as you want to.

Notice, if you will, the change in your thoughts as you go from laughing to crying and back and forth. Notice the energy expended.  "The only difference," my teacher said, "is the thought. Same energy, different thought."

How powerful, how profound! Besides its obvious use as an actor or storyteller, this exercise offers  a wonderful tool for living life. To think that I have choice as to whether I choose to laugh and look on the brighter side, or whether I choose to be sad and cry. It is about my attitude. And my choice.  What do I want to be feeling? What do I want to be thinking? How do I want to respond? How do I want to spend my day?

I will admit - as a died-in-the-wool depressive, being sad and sorry is very familiar. I come from a long line of Jewish women, for goodness sakes!  But I know and those Jewish women always reminded me,  it only takes a change of attitude for that misery to fall away.

I like laughing. It's great exercise for the soul.  

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Try it!  You will like it.