Week 18

*For explanation of The Happiness Experiment" go HERE .*


Last week's secrets:
Little things have big meanings.
It's not what happened, it's how you think about what happened.


Secret #35

Develop some common interests with loved ones.

"Common interests can make it more fun to be around your family and friends. They can allow you to see that your bonds are much deeper than just circumstance."

Until I married Evan I had been to one or two professional baseball games. But now, I've been to countless. I don't have a team. I usually cheer for whoever he does, but it has drawn us closer and it is so much fun to take the kids to games now and enjoy that time together. It's become something that we look forward to. I think there is probably something like that for everyone that even though it may not interest you at first, you may be surprised that you really enjoy it. Or you may just enjoy all that time together.

"Each common interest between people in a relationship increases the likelihood of a lasting relationship and results in an increase in life satisfaction of about 2 percent."


Secret #36
Laugh


"Don't spend your time evaluating humor, asking yourself, "Is it really funny?" or "Do others think it's funny?" Just react and enjoy it."


We've all heard that laughter is the best medicine. I believe it. I've always thought that laughter was very important to one's health. You need to be able to laugh. Even when you don't feel like it. Especially when you don't feel like it. When I was younger I had a notebook full of things that made me laugh. Cut out of magazines like Reader's Digest and others. Just things that made me smile. I need to start doing that again. It's nice when you're in a not-so-nice mood. A reminder that life isn't that bad.


I'm not sure what class it was that Haley was taking or why they were studying it, but I remember that she had a bunch of us do some laughter exercises that she had learned in class. It started out just fake laughing. Laughing the vowel sounds or saying the names of fruit without showing any teeth. It always ended in tear-streaming laughter. Our sides hurt. I loved it. I don't know why we stopped. Maybe I should make that a weekly even daily exercise. Laughing is an incredible ab workout.


"In studies of hundreds of adults, happiness was found to be related to humor. The ability to laugh, whether at life itself or at a good joke, is a source of life satisfaction. Indeed those who enjoy silly humor are one-third more likely to feel happy."


Review:
Develop some common interests with loved ones.
Laugh.