Lighten Up, Laugh Often and Get Your Glow On! ☺

Yup, that's me! Caught mid-guffaw! :))

We all love to laugh and there are very few times and places when laughter is inappropriate.
Our laughter uplifts us and those around us - so what could be inappropriate about that? ☺

Admittedly, there are some situations where laughter would be frowned upon, (yes, I’ve been there!) and one does need to keep a straight face (not always that easy!) – but you can still chuckle inside! ☺

I laugh a lot! I giggle, I chortle, I chuckle, I cackle, I splutter, I screech and I snort with laughter whenever the mood takes me - which is often!

I’ve always thought I was lucky to find many situations highly amusing – and of course it helps to have a sense of the absurd. ☺

Throughout my school years I would constantly be in trouble with my teachers for the punishable offence of laughter!

I loved to share laughter and giggles with my friends and still do.

In fact, I love to share laughter and giggles with everyone I meet, in whatever situation I’m in.
It’s a JOYful way to live and it adds a sense of fun and good cheer to what could otherwise be mundane and boring, or downright bleak. ☺

One of my personal mantras has always been “Vot’s not to laugh?”!
There is always a funny side! ☺

“What’s the one prescription I am always happy to dispense? Take two belly laughs and call me in the morning. Safer than any big pharma pill-of-the-moment and free of harmful side effects, laughter is one of the easiest things you can do to promote healing and well being. In fact, in my 20 years of medical experience, I’ve found that patients who have a sense of humor and laugh a lot, tend to heal better and faster than those who don’t. Therefore I say, if health and wellness is your goal, skip irony, bypass sarcasm and make the conscious choice to add more joyous laughter into to your day.” ~ Dr Frank Lipman (click to read full article here)

The health benefits of laughter are widely documented, and it’s also good for your brain! ☺ You can read more about ‘A Brain on Laughter’ by Dr Ellen Weber, here.

Laughter stimulates our creativity and inspiration.
Try laughing your way to your next brilliant idea. ☺

Laughing with Life doesn’t mean that you’re not taking it seriously.
It means you’re enJOYing yourself and having fun along the way.
And you’re sending Good Energy out into the world.
So why be glum?!
Lighten up and laugh often and you’ll Rock your Health and Happiness and Get Your Glow On! ☺
 
With Love,

Related Posts:

•  It's Not OK To Have Fun - It's Essential! :)

Don’t ‘storm’ your brain – allow inspiration to FLOW ☺

Where, and when do You find You get your best ideas?

When I worked in advertising there was nothing that could freeze my creative juices as instantly as having to sit in a meeting to ‘brainstorm’ – a word that particularly does not resonate with me.
While everyone else was scribbling and trying to outdo each other with ideas, I’d stare at my blank notepad feeling under pressure to write something….anything…

I had nothing at all.
So I’d write my shopping list. Eggs. Loo paper… anything to look like I was ‘thinking’!☺

My brain doesn’t function well when it’s stormed.

I prefer the idea of a brainflow – inspiration that simply presents itself ☺
My best ideas and ‘aha moments’ have always arrived when I’m not in pursuit of  them. 

Mostly, it’s when I’m doing something completely mindless, like staring at nothing at all ☺
Mindless staring – out of the window, or at the kitchen wall while I’m waiting for the kettle to boil, or washing dishes  - often rewards me with great insights and ideas! 

The kitchen wall. Does this look like a place of inspiration? :)

Often the staring at the kitchen wall is accompanied by mindless snacking – peanut butter with a spoon, or crackers and cheese -  and while this would not be recommended by nutritionists, I’m frequently blessed with ‘answers’, insights and ideas that appear ☺

Inspiration, clarity and understanding arrive easily when we’re relaxed and open to allowing it.

That’s why so many of us find inspiration arrives when we’re in the shower, or while we’re out walking or running, or as we’re getting ready for bed.
 

Ideas don’t always arrive when it’s convenient to write them down.
But it’s important that we do, or at least try to consciously remember them, until we can get them down on paper if we need to.  Because as easily as they arrive, so they can float off into the either…. and they may or may not return. ☺

We can’t worry and stress our way to inspiration. Insights and understanding can’t be forced. We’ve got to be still and empty our minds to allow them in.

Meditation is a great way to do this – in whatever form you choose.

You don’t need to eat peanut butter and stare at a wall to get your best ideas, but you’ve got to be relaxed and open. ☺

So next time you’re storming your brain for inspiration – relax, stop thinking, do something else, or just be still, allow it to flow and Get Your Glow On! ☺

With Love,

Related Posts: 

•  Get Your Imagination On :) 

Forget about ‘feeling bad’ – Lose the Guilt and Get Your Glow On! ☺

Are you doing things because you want to, or because you “feel bad”?☺

We’ve all got certain obligations and duties in our lives that we need to attend to.
But we put ourselves under added pressure and stress by agreeing to do a lot of other things that we don’t have to do  -  because we feel guilty if we don’t.

One of the most liberating things I did for myself was to give up doing things out of guilt.
And oh – the relief!! ☺

I used to agree to doing things that I knew, immediately, that I didn’t ‘want’ to do!

And then I’d go through a long, stressful process of hoping arrangements would be cancelled, or wondering how I could get out of them - getting more stressed, the closer the time came, beating myself up because I felt I ‘should’ and often bailing out with some lame excuse, at the last minute.... 
Know the feeling? ☺ ☺

When we agree to things that we want to do, we’re acting in integrity – we feel good, comfortable with our decision and empowered, because we’re respecting ourselves and coming from a place of Love. 

Acting out of guilt doesn’t benefit you or the people around you.

Would You like to know that someone was doing something for you, or with you because they felt guilty? ☺

If you’re doing something out of guilt and not out of love, it’s not going to be a JOYful experience for anyone.

Whatever you do – if you’re going to do it, then put your heart into it and do it with Love. 
Embrace the experience, find the blessing and find the JOY ☺

Don’t do it because you “feel bad”. Do it because You FEEL GOOD and you’ll tune into the Good Stuff and Get Your Glow On! ☺

With Love,

Related Posts:

• Know Yourself, Be Yourself and Get Your Glow On :)

Doing the Work they LOVE: GloWomen share what gets them buzzed!

 "Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time." ~ Pablo Picasso

When we share our gifts and talents with the world and do the work that we LOVE to do, we are rewarded in so many wonderful ways.

Doing the work that we LOVE fills us with enthusiasm, inspiration and Good Energy as we tune into the Good Stuff and Get our Glow On! ☺

Some of our wonderful GloWomen share with us below, what gets them buzzed about the work they're doing:

Amasilys Palencia Ruiz, Maracay, Venezuela

Visual Artist and Designer at AmaSilyS art&design

What work did you do before?

I worked for many years as a Publicist, Graphic Designer and Radio Producer, because I studied for that and I liked it. Though art and design are my true passion!



What gets you buzzed about the work you do now - what do you LOVE about it? 



What gets me buzzed about art and design is the possibility of making an idea come true and the awe-inspiring feeling of that accomplishment.

Besides, to know what people feel when they look at my works and realise my idea reaches their souls. WOW!
I also write... I love to tell stories which try to inspire... to humbly share what I'm learning on my journey in life and may be useful or at least enjoyable!

Doryce Sher, Cape Town, South Africa
Founder and Owner of Aromatic Apothecary: manufacturers of ready-to-use Aromatherapy products.

I was a pharmacist before this. (What I refer to as a legal drug dealer - but that may be a bit toooo hectic to say )
*(hehehe I'm happy to leave that in - Bets)

 I LOVE and am passionate about people feeling better using something other than a drug for common ailments and everyday stresses.

Kristine Pearson, London, UK
Chief Executive at Lifeline Energy: addressing energy poverty for the poorest and most vulnerable, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Prior to heading up Lifeline Energy more than 13 years ago, I held an executive position with a South African banking group,.
My varied portfolio included leading the reward and recognition programme, the corporate wardrobe and various change management initiatives. 
My corporate experience and a strong results orientation helped prepare me for the next chapters of my life at Lifeline Energy.

What brings me joy now:

There is nothing as gratifying as travelling in rural Africa and spending time with the women and children that we serve. Countless times I’ve been touched by the generosity and hospitality of people who struggle to make ends meet, and for whom life itself is a struggle.

Over the years, in return for the gift of a solar and wind-up radio which are used by groups, I’ve been 'gifted' in return with a camel saddle, floor mats, skirts, a dresses, handbags, belts, a gallon of honey, a chicken, several goats and enough jewellery to start my own boutique. All of these items were handmade. People who are abjectly poor nonetheless used their meagre funds and their precious time to bestow me with gifts in appreciation for their radios and what the radios would bring – information and education access to the world beyond theirs.

The generosity, appreciation, warmth and hospitality of the poorest is often a story that goes untold. Whatever I have given to impoverished groups is dwarfed by what I have received in return.

Mary Gee, Adelaide, Australia
Founder/Director at Catch My Drift: a volunteer based program raising awareness for youth mental health & suicide prevention.

 I have been a high school teacher of Languages for almost 30 years but have taken a few years off in the past to be a social worker where I counselled families immediately after a suicide.

I now run my own organisation called 'Catch my Drift' which empowers young people to take control of their choices and raises awareness for youth mental health and suicide prevention.
The real buzz comes from the positive feedback I receive on a daily basis, from knowing that what we do really does make a difference. This gives me purpose; this completes me like nothing else ever has before.

Thank You to these inspiring GloWomen for Spreading the Glow with the work they LOVE to do ☺

We uplift ourselves and those around us, allowing creativity and inspiration to flow, when we do the work that we LOVE to do and Spread the Glow! ☺

With Love,

 Related Posts: 

• Rock Your Passion and Get On Purpose
• Stay True to You and Follow Your Own Path
• Allowing Opportunities to Get Your Glow On :)