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In every job, relationship, or life situation there
is inevitably some turbulence. Learn to laugh at it.
It is part of what you do and who you are.
If you are a baker, for example, chances are you will
burn a few cakes every now and then. If you are a
homemaker, you will break a few dishes from time to
time. If you are a clerk at a supermarket, there is a
great possibility that one day one of the grocery
bags will burst as you finish filling it. You can be
prepared, as one clerk was, with, "They just
don't make these bags like they used to; this was
supposed to happen in your driveway!"
You cannot expect things to run smoothly twenty-four
hours a day, 365 days a year, for your entire life.
Why not prepare for those rough spots before they
occur and be ready with some way to lighten them up?
Some days are better (or worse) than others. Like the
Boy Scouts, be prepared!
Every joke has a setup and a punch line. Look for the
setups of life and be ready to handle them with a
humorous punch line. When you encounter one of those
not-so-great times, have something funny ready. Use
it like a humor mantra, which you can repeat to
yourself or out loud, depending on the company you
keep. Make up your own or use some of these classic
lines that have helped others:
"Oh, what an opportunity for growth and
learning."
"It could be worse. I could be pregnant."
"If it's not one thing, it's another."
"Take it back. It's not what I ordered."
"I'd rather be ________ (dancing, skiing,
jogging, etc.).
"Don't ask me, I only work here."
"Here we go again."
"I have no time for a crisis, my schedule is
full."
"I refuse to be intimidated by reality."
"Beam me up, Scotty."
(Adapted from The
Healing Power of Humor (Tarcher, Inc., 1989) |