Discover Tibetan Buddhism


Humor is not just for Kids!

Life is filled with prolems and we'll neverone occurence. How can anyone who intends to
get rid of them all. So why not face yourdo you harm face up to a smile? A smile just
worries with a positive attitude and a bit ofdiffuses  a  nasty  situation.
laughter? If Tibetan monks have showed us
anything, life is impermanent and if you hopeRead something funny rather than watch the
to achieves success or nirvana, you shouldnews with it's focus on bad news. Watch funny
approach it with a smile. Even the Joker willmovies, rather than the decadence caused by a
tell  you  so!despotic leader. There's plenty at your local
video shop. Of course, what tickles the funny
As adults we all have busy lifestyles, butbone for one doesn't work for the next guy. I
the fact is the busier we get, the more wecan get a chuckle with a one-liner from Bob
need laughter and humor. Laughter, we've beenHope as I can from watching Dumb and Dumber
told, by more than just Reader's Digest, isfor the fourth time (No, I haven't watched it
the best medicine. After all a grin uses farthat many time, but I'll get around to it).
fewer facial muscles than a frown. So unlessSomeone is likely to join a terrorist group
you feel a great need to exercise more ofwhen  I  say  I  actually  LIKED  Laugh-In.
your facial muscles than necessary, a smile,
a grin, chuckle will make you feel a wholeBE CHILD-LIKE. I didn't say CHILDISH. The
lot better than worrying about bills and thefact is that children are naturals at smiling
future.and laughter. The world is a wonder, seldom
fraught with perils for them. In fact
There's a story (possibly true) that a manchildren smile and laugh ten to one hundred
with cancer cured himself simply by readingtimes more than adults. Or sure they don't
funny stories and watching funny movies.have a mortgage to worry about, but you and
There's something to laughter that does theme know that worrying about it won't make the
soul good. Consider the Dalai Lama and howbills  go  away.
often he smiles and laughs. You'd expect him
to wear a frown and walk around angry at theSo you roasted the pot roast too much? Don't
Chinese and what they did to his country andcry over it. Your pot roast won't improve if
its  peoples.  Yet  he  goes  on  to  smile!you  baste  it  with  your  tears.
I just have to admire a man like that. HumbleATTITUDE...Attitude! What happens when you
and yet keeps smiling despite his difficulty.start talking to a stranger? Undoubtedly
Too many people approach a difficultyou're looking for his ulterior motive. We
situation with gut wrenching determinationhave the attitude that the stranger that
and the attitude of a steam roller ready toapproaches you is looking for something or
squash  anyone  that  stands  in  their  way.he's out to mug you. Why can't we just talk
and communicate without having to think that
The world needs more humor, more laughter.someone other than the government is out to
There ought to be a dedicated team ofdrain  our  bank  accounts?
professionals whose only ain is to wipe out
the sour looks that most of us carry aroundREALIZE the impermanence in all things. Let's
on  a  daily  basis.get back to Lily for a moment. Do you think
she'll be easily forgotten by all those
To put a smile on our faces doesn't require apeople she met? Of course not. Life is short
college education. All we need is a simpleand if you want to be remembered you can: a)
change  of attitutde. Here are some pointers:become a despot who finds humor in killing
anyone who opposes him. b) achieve great
SMILE! I remember a gal named Lillian.things only to fail at life and
Everyone liked her simply because she had anrelationships. Everyone has heard of Jim
infectious smile and a great attitude. She'dMorrison, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
greet you as if you were the most importantFamous yes, but would you want to emulate
person she ever met. Diamond Lily lived up tothem? c) become like Mother Teresa, Princess
her billing and didn't let anything upsetDiana,  Mahatma  Gandhi,  the  Dalia  Lama.
her. The fact that she resembled Mama Cass in
face and form was hardly noticeable by allThe simple point is that humor, an infectious
the guys. I even moved into her apartmentattitude will spread far more and do more to
right by the Decarie Boulevard in Montrealcreate a better world than just terror alone.
where the smog, traffic noises and winterAnd likely you'll be remembered far longer
chills were sure to wreck havoc on my health.than  any  dictator.
I remained only so long as to live out the
balance of her rental clause. I just wouldn'tSo cultivate humor like you'd cultivate your
have done that for any other woman, but Igarden. Like a glorious flower or fully
sure was happy to do it for Lily! Justripened fruit, humor will eventually dispense
imagine where a genuine smile can take you!the weeds of life.
It CAN get you out of a pickle in more than



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