A to Z of Happiness: J - Jest #atozchallenge @AprilA2Z

There are these two 10-11 year old girls in my neighborhood, who come to my shop very often to buy pens and other small stationery items. And they always have jokes to share with me.

"May I tell you a joke?", one of them will ask me, and then continue on without waiting for an answer! :D

Then there is this other girl, probably 7 year old. She usually comes with her grandpa, and she has him totally wrapped around her little finger, with all her wit and playfulness! Always manages to coax him into buying more than he'd originally agreed to! (But you don't see me complaining at that, do you?)

A lot of kids at my store are like that. Everything seems funny to them. When they run short of cash, that's something to laugh about. When that expensive pen they bought 2 days ago got "lost" at school and they got scolded at home for it, naturally that was one of the funniest things to happen to them. So was the time when they fell off their bike and scraped their elbow. (Oh yes! I get to hear "those" stories too! Little boys love to brag, don't you know?) One 12-year-old finds it most amusing when his mom threatens to lock him out of the house if he spent more than "X" amount of money in my shop that day!

Kids don't take life as seriously as us adults. They simply find the humor in everything, jest their way out of any tricky situations, and win everybody's hearts with their innocent laughs. Nothing fazes them. They know, then, what we tend to forget somewhere between getting voting rights and becoming grandparents.

3 Ways In Which Humor and Jest Lead To Happiness

1. Humor Improves Our Physical Health.

   A good, hearty laugh is good for the heart. No, really! It's a fact. Laughter exercises those muscles and blood vessels, and increases blood flow. It releases endorphins in our blood stream, that act as temporary analgesics and promote overall WELL-BEING. (Covered under 'W'.) It also reduces stress hormones in our body, and boosts our immune system.

   
   

2. Humor Keeps Us More Positive.

   Remember Bruce Willis in the Die Hard series? Even in hostile enemy territory, he never stops making wisecracks and funny one-liners. Humor not only puts a stop to feelings of anxiety and anger, but also helps release stress and recharge our energy, leading to a state of CALMNESS. (Covered under 'C'.) It shifts our THOUGHTS (covered under 'T') and perspective from "I am doomed" to "Anything is possible". And, most importantly, it helps us get emotionally detached from our stressful situation, putting us in a state of mind from where we can find better solutions and ways out.

   
   

3. Humor Enhances Inter-personal Relationships.

   Humans naturally gravitate towards jovial, optimistic people. We bond more easily with people whom we laugh with. Our jocular colleagues are the ones who are considered first for that promotion at work. Humor makes people forget their hurts, resentments, disagreements, and doubts. It helps us FORGIVE. (Covered under 'F'.) And nothing diffuses conflict faster than humor. Besides, remember Jim Carrey in that boardroom scene in Liar Liar?

One of the best ways to develop our sense of humor is to stop taking ourselves so seriously. Everyone loves a person who can laugh at himself.

You want proof? Alright!

These are my two most popular blog posts on social media (i.e. Facebook):

1. When I blushed
2. When I got locked in the bathroom at my best friend's wedding

See? Everyone loves a good laugh at someone else's expense! :P

So... do you have any such personal "goof-up" stories to share that could tickle my funny-bone?

This is my tenth post for A to Z of Happiness.

I have completed this challenge once before, and published it as a kindle ebook. You can get it on amazon: A to Z of Blogging: Take Your Blog To the Next Level.

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