“The opposite of play is depression.”

In an article in Green Money Journal (www.greenmoneyjournal.com), the author made this statement that I thought was powerful:

“For children, if they don’t have enough regular free play time, they get depressed, points out the editor of Green Money Journal.  So what about us grown up kids, especially typical American business people, who work – work – work all the time? We aren’t getting enough play time, either! (After all, who are we if not grown up children?)

So if you feel a little bit depressed (or a lot), consider how much play you are getting in. Of course I don’t mean playing in the sandbox or with your Tinker Toys (although I can enjoy a mean session of Tinker Toys with my niece!).

I mean whatever is play for you, whatever age you are.

And while “depression” can be a clinical term, I mean it here much more loosely, as in feeling a little bit down, a little like “what’s the point,” like there’s just too much to do. Or you keep asking yourself how can you ever get ahead.

As always, the answers are paradoxical. While we have to work to grow our business and change the world, we can’t succeed in our endeavors without enough play, either. Too much work does make Jack a dull boy and Jill a dull girl and just no fun to be around.

Fortunately as we make enough playtime a priority in our life, our perspective on everything changes for the better. The truth is, if you want to be successful at whatever your goals are, you have to play.

So ask yourself, are you getting enough playtime? If not, what is one single activity that is play for you? Is it something you can do today? Then make a decision to do it….Play!”

And by signing in to the box at the top right of this blog http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com you can get our special report teaching you the “Four Vital Questions” you must know on how to have more fun and play!

—

Anne Alexander helps small green business owners grow their businesses. Get one month free membership in the Green Business Coaching Club at www.GrowYourGreenBusiness.com

This post by Jeff Hutner, Editor, www.newparadigmdigest.com

and Dr Susan Lange. OMD L.Ac   (All bold and italic type added by us)

For more inspirational comedy articles, tips and video clips visit our blog at

http://www.comediesthatheal.com

Smile, today is inauguration day, the 20th of January 2009, a day of change for all of us.  We are going to grow!

Today the United States transitions from the Bush era with it’s journey to “the dark side” to a time of “hope” with Barack Obama guiding us through change and towards a renewed unity between all folk.

Most of the world’s people are enjoying a sense of optimism with this change in the U.S.A. but some are not. Some will be nursing a regret as they witness the demise of an administration that represented a culture of entitlement and consumption.

It seems that a version of the American Dream is coming to an end, the version that encourages us to believe that the earth’s resources are everlasting and for us to use like the equity in our homes.

Over the coming years all of us will have to rethink our priorities and sort out our needs and our wants.

For some this will be a bitter task.

For all of you, who will shed a tear, rend your garments, and gnash your teeth at having to reduce, reuse, and recycle, I am pleased to offer the above item from a prior era.  An era perhaps similar to our own when our forbears had to tighten their belts and dig deep into their character: the great depression.

This familiar tune, sung here by Nat King Cole, was written by the comic genius, Charlie Chaplin with words by Turner and Parsons.

My hope today, is for all of those inclined to gloom on this occasion.  May this song inspire you to cheer up, like it must have for your own parents, grandparents, or great grandparents during their years of challenge and change.

*****

Dr. Julian Lange, OMD, LAc. reminding you that your laughter heals.

To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com

To watch this clip click here:

http://www.101comedies.com/comedians/inauguration-day-2009-got-change-got-hope-got-a-smile

More then forty years before yesterday’s post, “What’s So Funny About That”, Mel Brooks’ 1968 original movie of “The Producers” rocked the boat of humor conventions.  In fact we might never have seen it except for a weird twist of fate where by a studio projectionist put it up for Peter Sellers as a substitute for another movie the temperamental star was expecting.  Fortunately it had him and his entourage rolling in the aisles.  Without Sellers’ support this completely outrageous movie would probably never have found distribution and Mel Brooks might have taken a lot longer establishing himself as a Hollywood director.

Synopsis:

Has been producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and CPA Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) hatch a get rich scheme.  They figure that if they get a bunch of old ladies to finance a Broadway musical by the nostalgic Nazi Franz Liebkind (Kennith Mars) they can produce the worst show ever seen causing it to be shut down and then walk away with the cash.

Only problem, their “bad taste” flop turns out to be a hit!

Zero Mostel, Kennith Mars, Gene Wilder. MPV.net

*****

Memorable Quotes:

Franz Liebkind:  I am the author.  You are the audience.  I outrank you!

Singer:  Don’t be stupid, be a smarty.  Come and join the Nazi party.

Roger De Bris (Christopher Hewett):  Will the dancing Hitlers please wait in the wings?  We are only seeing singing Hitlers.

Max Bialystock:  How could this happen?  I was so careful.  I picked the wrong play, the wrong director, the wrong cast.  Where did I go right?

Max Bialystock:  Here’s to failure.  Leo Bloom: …To failure.  Drunk (William Hickey):  Why, thank you! You’re very kind!

*****

This is Dr. Julian Lange, OMD, LAc. reminding you that your laughter heals.

To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com

To watch this clip click here:

http://101comedies.com/101-inspirational-comedies-lists/outrageous-humor-can-tickle-funny-bone/

Laughing with you or laughing at you?  Check this out and…

… were you laughing?  Were you outraged?  What’s so funny about that?

If you’re asking you probably didn’t get it and that’s okay.  But this made me laugh, I’ll admit it.  Kind of a guilty laughter, here, alone with my P.C., but laughter none the less and I’m here to remind you all that laughter is a good thing for lots of good reasons, one of which is to not take things too seriously.

Especially the things that are really serious, like cancer.

In his memoir, “Cancer On $5 A Day”, comedian, Robert Schimmel describes his experience facing stage III non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and all it’s vicissitudes with humor.  When his oncologist gave him and his parents, both holocaust survivors, the bad news, the first thing out of his mouth was a joke, to which the doc replied “you’re going to be fine”.  “Why do you say that” asked our potential victim, “because”, said the doc, “of your attitude”.

That was close to nine years ago and he’s even had a child since then.

“Going for the laugh was his survival mechanism” and I think it’s safe to say that Robert Schimmel feels great with us laughing at him.  In fact you can do just that by tuning in his new television show, “Life Since Then” on Showtime.

This is Dr. Julian Lange, OMD, LAc. reminding you that your laughter heals.

To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com

To watch this clip click here:

http://www.101comedies.com/laughterandyourbody/whats-so-funny-about-that

We take life way too seriously, if the following quote from laughter coach Annette Goodheart is true.  So why not try more laughter now by taking her advice?

“The average 5 year old in the U.S. laughs 400 times per day. The average adult laughs 15 times.”

In a recent interview for her upcoming book: “Cheer Up!  Laugh Your Way to Health with Inspirational Comedy 101″  Dr Susan Lange OMD, L.Ac of the Meridian Center for Holistic Medicine in Santa Monica, California interviewed Dr. Annette Goodheart, a laughter coach with forty years of experience in the field.

Here are a few gems from the interview on the healing power of laughter:

• One thing our family did every night at dinner was laugh. We laughed so hard we spit out our food, fell off our chairs and wet our pants.
• Catharsis is nature or God’s way of resolving the imbalance in our chemistry because our emotions are chemical. If we do not re-balance them, and our culture teaches us us not to, then that inbalance stores and eventually becomes dis-ease. Infants and children expertly resolve this imbalance and return to a state of homeostasis. I believe this is the missing link in science, psycho-neuro-immunology and other emerging mind-body fields because we have so many myths and beliefs that are untrue, not just about laughter, but crying and most other emotional expressions as well. Remember that there’s no such thing as a bad emotion. All emotions are painful and need to be moved out through catharsis.
• As a general rule, in Western culture, (only) women are allowed to lose control, but men have to be in control and it’s very frightening for many of them to lose it. It’s an actual loss of physical control. Most of us have laughed until we cried or fallen out of our chairs. You literally lose muscle control.
• For people starting out on their laughing path, I suggest going into the bathroom by yourself, looking yourself in the eye in the mirror, and with your most serious face, saying “tee-hee” and see what happens. Spend time with friends who laugh a lot and laugh along with them. Don’t wait to find out why they’re laughing. You never have to have a reason to laugh.
• The only thing that I would not recommend is laughing at ridicule or put down. Central Michigan University conducted a study that showed that people who use put downs or ridicule are sick more frequently and spend more time in hospitals than people who are witty. If a friend uses put down humor, I would not spend time laughing with them. Other than that, take every opportunity you can to laugh.
• I used to and still do carry a red rubber nose in my car. When I drove to Los Angeles, I would put it on during rush hour traffic. I had more fun with the other cars. Half of them thought I was crazy and the other half were delighted and gave me the thumbs up.
• I have a book called Laughter Therapy: How to Laugh About Everything in Your Life That is Not Really Funny. Everyone usually knows what they think is funny or can laugh at. But I help people laugh about things that aren’t funny and support them in re-balancing and resolving their pain. I’ve worked successfully with depression, AIDS, cancer, sexual abuse and other emotional and physical challenges. In addition to the book, I have CD’s, DVD’s, video tapes and cassettes available at my two websites, laughtercoach.com or teehee.com. And to sample a free laughter coaching demonstration, write Annette at teehee@teehee.com.

Interview by Dr Susan Lange, OMD, L.Ac   www.MeridianHolistic.com

Edited by Jeff Hutner,  www.newparadigmdigest.com

For more inspirational comedy articles, tips and video clips click the following link http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com

Do you find yourself wrestling with the age old question of “why me?” Pacing your room? Floundering in the existential quagmire of who? what? where? when? and why? Well, you know what? It could be worse. You could, like this modern day Kant, be suffering your metaphysical dilemma in German the original language of angst.

So take heart and know that you are not alone!

Here you witness someone in the stammering throws of an existential anxiety attack.  But notice how Herr John J. has turned his discomfort into a cathartic German angst rap.  He may be squirrely but who isn’t in these freaky times when it can seem that all that’s left is the humor.  So if you’re in some similar fix to our rapping friend here maybe now is the time for you to also get creative, and find your own funky way to restore your spirits and your fun.
What could be more healthy then that and after all, could you do any worse than this?

Contributed by:  Dr. Julian Lange, OMD, LAc. reminding you that your laughter heals.

To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com

To watch this clip click here:

http://101comedies.com/inspirational/hung-up-on-the-why-me-question-you-are-not-alone/

Cancer is a feared disease that can cause serious pain and fatigue in many people. A recent US research project on reducing pain and fatigue in cancer patients has revealed that a bright outlook truly does have a tangible benefit. The Monty Python crew, in their hit song in “The Life of Brian”, ask us to “always look on the bright side of life”. They knew!

Cancer – A Feared Disease

There are many aspects of cancer which make it such a frightening disease. For example, it often does not exhibit symptoms until the time when most people think it is “too late” to do anything. This makes it almost a silent killer.

It can make people feel helpless, and cancer sometimes spreads very rapidly. It seems to afflict anyone, anywhere, too.

Then there is the little matter of the pain which cancer brings, in particular during its latter stages, and also for certain types of cancer, such as bone cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer.

The pain and fatigue which cancer patients often suffer from can badly affect their quality of life as well as their ability to function, not just physically, but also mentally.

Many protocols and therapies, both conventional and “alternative” medicine, are used to reduce and manage pain and fatigue caused by cancer. Some of these include pain-killing drugs, foot reflexology, massage and acupuncture.

Now, research conducted by Dr Margot E Kurtz and her team of colleagues from the Michigan State University in East Lansing has found that cancer patients with more optimistic outlooks were better able to manage their cancer pain, while those patients who had a strong sense of mastery, or control over their environment, experienced less severe fatigue on top of being able to better manage their pain.

Details of Study

The study looked at the personality traits, such as dispositional optimism and mastery, of 214 cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy, to see how they affect the patients’ ability to manage the severity of their cancer fatigue and pain.

Participants of the study were put through a 10-week symptom control intervention program, with the help of a nurse. They were interviewed three times – at the start of the study, after 10 weeks at the end of the intervention program, and again after 16 weeks, to get a sense of their emotional states.

Findings of Study

The study, which was published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, found that those participants who had higher levels of mastery reported feeling less severe pain as well as lower levels of fatigue.

On top of that, participants who had a more optimistic outlook also experienced less severe pain, although in this case, higher levels of optimism did not translate to less severe fatigue.

These findings were adjusted for other important factors, such as age, gender, cancer location, stage of the disease, and other health issues which may be afflicting the participants.

Additional findings of the study include less severe cancer pain for those patients who were older and those with fewer health issues on top of their cancer diagnosis, while the latter group also reported lower levels of fatigue.

Further, the study team reported not much difference in the degree of optimism and mastery detected between patients whose cancers were detected early and those who were suffering from late stage disease. This is an important point as it rules out, to some degree, the possibility that optimistic attitudes may have been caused by less severe disease and pain, rather than vice versa.

Along similar lines, it was found that the number of additional health issues on top of cancer did not seem to influence the baseline levels of optimism and mastery of the subjects.

What Can Be Done

The study team suggested that clinicians could look out for such traits in cancer patients, and work with them to help them use these traits to better cope with their cancer symptoms.

“These findings underscore the need for physicians and nurses involved in the care of cancer patients to recognize, encourage, promote, and take advantage of these traits in their patients to help them more effectively manage their cancer care, so that they ultimately can achieve a better quality of life during the sequelae of the cancer experience,” the study team concluded.

On a personal level, cancer patients and their loved ones need to do more to help improve the emotional outlooks of cancer sufferers. Read jokes, watch comedies, laugh, hang out with and talk to positive people, pray, meditate, go for counseling – do anything to raise one’s levels of optimism and mastery.

According to the finds of this Michigan study, this can help one deal with cancer pain and fatigue. In addition, much as some factions of conventional medicine may disagree, there are many of us who actually believe that such an outlook can in fact improve one’s chances of defeating the disease.

And by signing in to the box at the top right of this blog http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com you can get our special report teaching you the “Four Vital Questions” you must know on how to have more fun and play!

Source

From Natural News.com

Patient Optimism and Mastery — Do They Play a Role in Cancer Patients` Management of Pain and Fatigue? (http://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S088…)00058-4/abstract)

This post by Jeff Hutner, Editor, www.newparadigmdigest.com

and Dr Susan Lange, OMD, L.Ac

For more inspirational comedy articles, tips and video clips click the following link http://comedythatheals.com