12 Ways to Give Yourself as a Holiday Gift

Kindness Abstract by CarolsCamera

What if you gave yourself during your holiday celebration? Here's how taking leadership to carry it out, might bring extra holiday zip and happiness for others...

Discover a new talent in a family member you had not realized and praise it when you see it in action. Praise raises the level of serotonin released in the brain. All benefit as they hear your words since it brings well-being to all..

Help with holiday prep and clean-up Holidays take much work and even putting your hands to do dishes, setting the table, decorating or cleaning up gift-wrap brings more joy to all.

Surprise others with acts of kindness These do not cost a cent. Begin to look to see how you can give others a hand and step in to do it. It's the doing that counts.

Sing holiday songs together Music moves the brain waves to bring joy through the pace and rhythm of a joyful tune. Your active involvement with family and friends enhances mood for you and others. If you want to stay in tune, put the instrumental version on in the background. Who knows, you may sound professional! Take it further and go sing for an elderly neighbor!

Write a note to someone who might need it during the holiday. Perhaps sending a note someone in the hospital or a person who has faced a recent crisis will bring them a touch of caring.

Play games with children and teens Games are lots more fun with more players. Ask them for suggestions and follow through even if you are not familiar with Wii, a computer game or a new board game. It's the being a good sport that matters most. Would you agree?

Wrap and give photos from past celebrations Often these bring back happy memories and fun all these years later. Make a gift of one for each member of your family or for friends.

Listen more than talk It's so easy to tell and on top of that to give advice. By listening, we capture the heart of others.

Take on the role of servant Ask yourself "What if I helped to..." With this kind of attitude, it changes the aspect of your holiday celebration. It's a way of humility much needed in our world. Not too surprisingly, others see what you do and pitch in to help. This is the work of Mirror Neurons in action. It also models for children a thoughtful approach to life.

Laugh more Talk over funny happenings of past gatherings. These usually bring tears to the eyes with a rollicking belly laugh. If nothing else, watch a funny comedy together such as, Christmas Vacation.

Volunteer at Soup Kitchen By actively involving yourself to do something to help the less fortunate, it changes your own spirit.

Act on a promise you let go  Because of busyness we can easily let go of promises. Recall one and offer to follow through this holiday season.

A Good Laugh Bursts from the Soul

"A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly; but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows, and bubbles all around”   ~ Carolyn Birmingham

Laughter's good medicine... Mirthful laughter

• helps decrease cortisol, leading to stress reduction
• increases production of antibodies
• enhances mood through increased endorphins
• lowers bad cholesterol and systolic blood pressure
• raises good cholesterol
• decreases inflammation in diabetics

Ever notice how laughter's contagious?  The mirror neurons in our brain lead us to mimic those around us.

Hope you enjoyed a good laugh with a friend today.

A Dash of Humor Ups Performance and Creativity at Work

When you hear a funny story or quick-witted line as you launch another day at work, what happens? Perhaps a belly laugh, good feelings about colleagues, a positive spirit or relief from a toxic work environment. Here're three bonuses humor brings...

1. Creates more camaraderie in teams and departments... "The ability to appreciate humor, the ability to laugh and make other people laugh actually has physiological effects on the body that cause people to become more bonded," Chris Robert of MU' College of Business, finds.

2. Stirs your creativity... A dose of humor releases a flow of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin helps you to find well-being... to think clearly, solve problems more objectively, step beyond rigid thinking, change your point of view...

3. Improves performance... humor brings relaxation and an upbeat mindset which enables you to get past workplace toxins that stall you in the trenches. Recent research shows a strong link between positive emotions humor brings and optimal performance outcomes.

Ellen Weber explains how humor makes a difference for you and folks working near you...

Humor’s good for business because it releases enzymes into the brain and opens new spaces for learning, giving and for enjoying what you do. It’s also good for expansion … because people gravitate to humorous people, and research shows they like to do business with people who can laugh at themselves.

Laughter works best when it's light and witty. For instance, laugh at yourself to relax a room, make a play on words, tell a funny anecdote.

Recommended links that show how to use humor to increase creativity and productivity at your work:

Frank Roche at Know HR: Humor and the Work Team: Healing, Harmonizing, and Harnessing Morale, Cooperation, and Productivity

Drew McLellan at Drew's Marketing Minute: M&M capitalizes on a myth

Ellen Weber at Brain Based Business - 10 Tips for a Belly Laugh at Work

Workplace Office Buzz: Workplace Humor - Uniting and Dividing

Barbara Rozgonyi at Wired PR Works: Funny Business PR Why Don’t Companies Use Cartoons in Their Marketing?

Brad Shorr at Word Sell: Funny Companies with Serious Performance

GL Hoffman at What Would Dad Say: Your Resume Headline Should Get My Attention, First.

Here're a couple of quotes for your thoughts...

I haven't got the slightest idea how to change people, but I keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I should ever figure it out. David Sedaris

Tell me what you laugh at, and I'll tell you who you are. Marcel Pagnol

Try humor... what difference has it made for you?

A Conference in East Koy Four Corners, the Center of the World!

Someone searched for "East Four Corners International Conference" and located my story, East Koy Four Corners - My Home Town. Now that really made me laugh and as I thought more, the real humor welled up from tongue-in-cheek claims my husband, Carl, made about East Koy...

East Koy Is the Center of the World... Though my grandmother migrated from Denmark to Australia and my mother and I are naturalized US citizens, to think East Koy is the global center, makes me laugh. And when we return from a trip, Carl often says, "We're back to the center of the world." How do you determine the "center of your world?" It would be interesting to hear from you...

"I'm the Mayor of East Koy" Not only does Carl feature that East Koy is the "center of the world," he named himself as the "Mayor of East Koy"... When you consider that we might have a total of about 30 people living in the area of the Four Corners, that's a real lark! But, the neighbors picked up on Carl's claim and name him as the Mayor, mainly out of going along with his wit and a respect for him. Do you ever claim something for yourself with great imagination?

And your brain changes with laughter... since more serotonin, a hormone of well being flows through your cranium! When you can laugh at yourself, you can really turn things around... It's a real secret to creating well-being for all those around you... besides it's so much more fun.

In the vein of imagination I'm using ideas from musing in the middle zone, serving chaos, filling up my glass, designing my writing life, writing with more confidence, using more of my brain, thinking unconventionally and what Dad would say, as I tune up my emotional intelligence to learn more joyfully and jubilantly...

Ready to laugh at an incongruity, too?

Laugh - Bust Your Stressors!

Why is it when you laugh, your mood changes as it does for others with you? Interestingly, upbeat sounds such as laughter or a celebratory "woo hoo!" spark a response in a listener's brain. This reaction occurs in the same area of the brain that activates when we smile... almost as if prepping our facial muscles to follow through with laughter.

Belly laughs "can dilute the bad from news and help you cope," Ellen Weber finds, "because they lower stress and open your brain to new possibilities. Laughter can also be a great connector because it brings people together who are attracted to the lighter side of life….

What are we waiting for, let's enjoy a good laugh together!

News Story That'll Make Tears Come while You Laugh State Legislator Shows Naked Woman during School Lecture on how a bill becomes a law! This one's too good to miss.

Unbelievable Research Reaps Nobel Prize Quirky, funny scientific achievement!

Funniest Moments in Sports. This blog has absolutely captured moments that defy most photographers. You'll split your sides laughing as you view the rest of these winners!

Blogs to Make You Smile: Brad Shorr lists recent posts that brought forth a few guffaws. And,Ellen Weber's Dinner Blew Up but Not the Deal will really make your sides shake!

New Books to Tickle Your Funny Bone Wendall Jamieson tackles children's questions such as, "Can I Cook My Sister," with a unique twist...

Do you have humor we'd enjoy the kind that doesn't need to be censored? Send a link to your post and I'll post the real belly laughs in a follow-up. Be sure to put your link in my comments by October 16, and I'll share the fun soon after.