If You Can Laugh About It Tomorrow. . .
(a central truth …)
Laughter is a choice you make.
Make it when you need it most -– when you go through tough times.
Look back twenty years.
Are there things that made you weep?
OK, look back five years.
Are there things that were embarrassments?
Now, look back just one year. Are there things that gave you some concern?
Look at them now.
Do some make you laugh?
Can you laugh about them now?
I bet some of them are great jokes already.
How can you now laugh at something that once made you cry?
How come yesterday’s embarrassment is now your favorite joke?
How is it that a former concern is now a laughing matter?
You now know better.
You wept because it hurt: because you dreaded the loss and feared the pain.
Your weeping did nothing positive to your hurting soul.
Your weeping did not repair the loss.
Your weeping did not lessen the pain.
If the matter was resolved, it was not by your tears.
They tell you that time healed the wounds.
In fact, some of your concerns were unnecessary - they never happened.
Some happened but brought in their wake good you couldn't imagine. "Why didn't I
see that before,” You exclaim - It just makes you laugh.
Others that happened were either not as tough as you had feared, or you just found
strength to cope with them in spite of their gravity - that makes you laugh, too.
But here you are again weeping about what will make you laugh twenty years from
now.
Here you are again bothered about a situation that might become a joke somewhere
down the road.
Here you are again tearing yourself apart when it's just another brewing.
Can't you do yourself the favor of having that laugh now?
Can't you begin to enjoy that joke now?
How?
Just imagine yourself in a two-year time warp. Wow!
Get up, go to a mirror and begin to tell yourself this joke (Yes, that’s what it is).
Or, if you must cry, sulk or gripe; do it looking into the mirror.
Begin to analyze the details of your face.
Save it in your memory (you'll definitely need it for your future jokes).
Next, get a pen and notepad and resume your crying, sulking or griping.
Write down, every five minutes, how much of the problem you've solved by your
motions.
If after an hour you have three on your list, you are a genius.
If not, try this…
...Resume your crying, sulking or griping (whichever is your favorite) with your tape
recorder rolling.
Record and play back your activity.
Is it funny?
Then give yourself a good laugh.
You're now ready to solve the problem.
Tell yourself this:
I will laugh about this too someday and that someday is today.
If you can laugh about it today, you’ve solved half the problem.
If you can laugh about it tomorrow, you can laugh about it today.
- - - - -
If You Can Laugh About It Today,
You Can Tomorrow
~Chimezirim Odimba
(a central truth …)
Laughter is a choice you make.
Make it when you need it most -– when you go through tough times.
Look back twenty years.
Are there things that made you weep?
OK, look back five years.
Are there things that were embarrassments?
Now, look back just one year. Are there things that gave you some concern?
Look at them now.
Do some make you laugh?
Can you laugh about them now?
I bet some of them are great jokes already.
How can you now laugh at something that once made you cry?
How come yesterday’s embarrassment is now your favorite joke?
How is it that a former concern is now a laughing matter?
You now know better.
You wept because it hurt: because you dreaded the loss and feared the pain.
Your weeping did nothing positive to your hurting soul.
Your weeping did not repair the loss.
Your weeping did not lessen the pain.
If the matter was resolved, it was not by your tears.
They tell you that time healed the wounds.
- You say no, the wounds healed with time.
- You let go and initiated the healing process.
- You found reason to continue in spite of whatever it was.
- You searched for, and found an angle to it that could amuse you.
- You understood that what was done was done and could not be undone.
- You just chose to continue with your life on a lighter note.
- You can now see the big picture and it made the pain insignificant.
In fact, some of your concerns were unnecessary - they never happened.
Some happened but brought in their wake good you couldn't imagine. "Why didn't I
see that before,” You exclaim - It just makes you laugh.
Others that happened were either not as tough as you had feared, or you just found
strength to cope with them in spite of their gravity - that makes you laugh, too.
But here you are again weeping about what will make you laugh twenty years from
now.
Here you are again bothered about a situation that might become a joke somewhere
down the road.
Here you are again tearing yourself apart when it's just another brewing.
Can't you do yourself the favor of having that laugh now?
Can't you begin to enjoy that joke now?
How?
Just imagine yourself in a two-year time warp. Wow!
Get up, go to a mirror and begin to tell yourself this joke (Yes, that’s what it is).
Or, if you must cry, sulk or gripe; do it looking into the mirror.
Begin to analyze the details of your face.
Save it in your memory (you'll definitely need it for your future jokes).
Next, get a pen and notepad and resume your crying, sulking or griping.
Write down, every five minutes, how much of the problem you've solved by your
motions.
If after an hour you have three on your list, you are a genius.
If not, try this…
...Resume your crying, sulking or griping (whichever is your favorite) with your tape
recorder rolling.
Record and play back your activity.
Is it funny?
Then give yourself a good laugh.
You're now ready to solve the problem.
Tell yourself this:
I will laugh about this too someday and that someday is today.
If you can laugh about it today, you’ve solved half the problem.
If you can laugh about it tomorrow, you can laugh about it today.
- - - - -
If You Can Laugh About It Today,
You Can Tomorrow
~Chimezirim Odimba
Soundtrack: Boogie: Mo
| "You grow up the day you have the first real laugh -- at yourself." ~Ethel Barrymore |
Jon bought two horses, and could never remember which was
which. A neighbour suggested that he cut the tail of one horse
and that worked great until the other horse got his tail caught
in a bush. It tore just right and looked exactly like the other
horse's tail and our friend was stuck again.
The neighbour suggested Jon notch the ear of one horse. That
worked fine until the other horse caught his ear on a barbed
wire fence. Once again our friend couldn't tell them apart.
The neighbour suggested he measure the horses for height.
When he did, he was very pleased to find that the black horse
was 2 inches taller than the white one.
Another smile: because the website is Dawn Cove Abbey,
I am beginning to receive emails addressed as:
“Dear Ms. Abbey”
Maybe I should start a column. . .
What a hoot :-)
which. A neighbour suggested that he cut the tail of one horse
and that worked great until the other horse got his tail caught
in a bush. It tore just right and looked exactly like the other
horse's tail and our friend was stuck again.
The neighbour suggested Jon notch the ear of one horse. That
worked fine until the other horse caught his ear on a barbed
wire fence. Once again our friend couldn't tell them apart.
The neighbour suggested he measure the horses for height.
When he did, he was very pleased to find that the black horse
was 2 inches taller than the white one.
Another smile: because the website is Dawn Cove Abbey,
I am beginning to receive emails addressed as:
“Dear Ms. Abbey”
Maybe I should start a column. . .
What a hoot :-)
| Sunrise Drive - Lobster Rock Wharf – Yarmouth Harbour NS – Aug 3/‘07 |
MorningStar for people
To submit comments, requests or materials,
contact me at outreach@dawncoveabbey.org
contact me at outreach@dawncoveabbey.org
For empowerment workshops, seminars and lectures, see: http://www.dawncoveabbey.org/healing-circle
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MorningStar Inspiration from Dawn Cove Abbey
Article, haiku, humour and poem contributions are welcomed, and gratefully received
Layout & Design by DawnStar
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MorningStar Inspiration from Dawn Cove Abbey
Article, haiku, humour and poem contributions are welcomed, and gratefully received
Layout & Design by DawnStar
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