Become a Student of Humor (Day 13)
It was eight o’clock on a Monday morning and I was lost in thought about the day’s events when suddenly a rhythmic thumping noise brought my seven-year-old to mind.
“Adam!” I called out. No answer.
“Adam!” I called again. Still no answer.
Now a mom-on-a-mission, I bounded up the stairs. As I approached Adam’s room I could feel the “Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!”
I opened his door and there was Adam—jumping up and down on his bed— wearing nothing but his underwear and a big smile . . . swinging his school clothes over his head… singing and kicking and dancing!
I lost it! “What do you think you’re doing?”
Adam stopped mid-jump, grinned a huge grin, and with the wisdom of Yoda said, “Don’t ya think gettin' dressed in the morning oughta be more fun?!”
My first response? “NO!!!”
My next response? “No more of Mommy’s motivational videos for you, young man!”
But moments later, the humor and wisdom of my son got through to me, and I marveled at his ability to find laughter and delight in such an ordinary task.
Children have little problem finding humor in day-to-day life. However, by the time you become an adult, experiencing more humor in your daily life often takes more purpose and intention.
Today’s challenge: Become a student of humor.
There are lots of ways to become a student of humor—you can find information about the how and why of humor in books, articles, studies, websites, ezines… But if you’d like to streamline the process, I have a shortcut for you. There’s an incredible non-profit organization I have found incredibly valuable: the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor.
This organization is the community for those who study, practice, and promote healthy humor. They have numerous resources on their website, a monthly e-zine with the latest updates in therapeutic and applied humor, and an annual conference that brings like-minded people together from around the world. AATH even has an immersion program called Humor Academy, a 3-year course on the theory and application of humor (available for graduate credit). You can also find AATH on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Other organizations like the International Society of Humor Studies (ISHS) and World Laughter Tour (WLT) provide additional online content and conferences. I have tips & resources that I send to my tribe monthly in an ezine you can sign up for here.
Today’s challenge: Become a student of humor. Look for at least one resource that will help you reinforce the lessons of humor, after the challenge is completed, and on an ongoing basis.
That’s it! Congratulations for committing to another day. I hope you’ll join me tomorrow for the next humor challenge. I’m Karyn Buxman reminding you to create a humor habit and reap the benefits. Humor is power!
