Laughter and Tears

Tears and laughter are two of the most beautiful and heartfelt expressions of human nature I know.

I find it absolutely fascinating that they take up a place so intimately close to each other in the brain. It is amazing to think they are just literally a 'spark' apart as the brain fires its neurons, so close, yet at the same time ever so far away, a perfect reflection perhaps of the dynamics of so many of life's relationships

How many of you have had the experience of laughing so much you end up in tears! Or of crying yourself out and ending it with a smile?

But trouble can arise when we form a habit of 'plumping for' the tears.

It's like this. Imagine you are sitting on a fence with 'tears' on one side and 'laughter' on the other. Another 'demand for payment' comes through the door, or the cat poops on the brand new carpet that you've saved up for so long to be able to afford, or your partner repeats the same behaviour yet again that you've told him a million times upsets you, or you are waking up into yet another day of chronic pain and aching ..... what do you do?

You are on the fence, even if only for a split second. That's all it takes to make the decision to jump into tears or laughter. Yet many of us will immediately take the tearful option, even without thinking and pull in a few other feelings along the way ... the poor victim, hard done by, long suffering etc etc

But what if you could catch yourself at that moment, just before the jump, long enough to be aware that you have a choice and what if you had just enough time to breathe in a breath of courage, if you could just let go of your resistance to change ..... if you could try an experiment with laughter ... even fake laughter (the body doesn't know the difference - really)

and ... Ping! You've landed on the other side and find yourself laughing at your predicament as the 'big, bad monster' fades into insignificance and the happiness seed starts to grow

And you realise you are bigger than any challenge and tears and laughter are simply currents in the bigger flow that everyone and everything is a part of