Humour is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humour and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.
The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable but also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative. People who incorporate humour and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships.
Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become playthings for your imagination. When you “become the problem” and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard to think outside the box and find new solutions. But when you play with the problem, you can often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning.
Playing with problems seems to come naturally to children. When they are confused or afraid, they make their problems into a game, giving them a sense of control and an opportunity to experiment with new solutions. Interacting with others in playful ways helps you retain this creative ability.
Here are two examples of people who took everyday problems and turned them around through laughter and play:
Raman, a student, was excited to finally have time to devote to golf, his favourite sport. But the more he played, the less he enjoyed himself. Although his game had improved dramatically, he got angry with himself over every mistake. Raman wisely realized that his golfing buddies affected his attitude, so he stopped playing with people who took the game too seriously. When he played with ‘friends who focused more on having fun than on their scores, he was less critical of himself. Now golfing was as enjoyable as Raman hoped it would be. He scored better without working harder. And the brighter outlook he was getting from his companions and the game spread to other parts of his life, including his work.
Richa worked at home designing greeting cards, a job she used to love but now felt it had become routine. Two little girls who loved to draw and paint lived next door. Eventually, Richa invited the girls in to play with all the art supplies she had. At first, she just watched, but in time she joined in. Laughing, colouring, and playing pretend with the little girls transformed Richa’s life. Not only did playing with them end her loneliness and mild boredom, it sparked her imagination and helped her artwork flourish. Best of all, it rekindled the playfulness and spark in Richa’s relationship with her family.
As laughter, humour, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will flourish and new discoveries for playing with friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and loved ones will occur to you daily. Humour takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective.
Q. On the basis of your reading the passage, make notes using recognisable abbreviations wherever necessary. Use a format you consider suitable, supply a suitable title.
Laughter- A Priceless Medicine
- Physical changes in body:
- strengthens immne system
- boosts energy
- dimnshs pain
- protects from stress.
- Benefits of laughter.
- makes life more enjyble
- helps solve problems
- connects with others
- Laughter – An Integral Part of life
- makes one creative
- helps to balance prspctive
- makes one more relaxed & positive
| Key to Abbreviations |
| 1. immne – immune |
| 2. dimnshs – diminishes |
| 3. enjyble – enjoyable |
| 4. prspctive – perspective |
| 5. & – and |
Q. Make a short summary of the passage in about 80 words.
Summary
Laughter is a priceless medicine which is easy to use. It brings many physical changes in the body. It strengthens the immune system, boosts our energy, diminishes the pain and protects us from stress. There are many benefits of laughter. It makes life more enjoyable and helps us to solve our problems in a positive manner. Laughter should be made an integral part of life to connect us to others. It also helps in making our life more relaxed. Laughter and humour takes a person to a higher place where they can enjoy balanced perspective.