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Grati-texts & Grati-tweets: High Tech AND High Touch

My alarm clock didn’t go off. Someone had already used up all the hot water before I could take my shower. We’d run out of coffee (gasp!). And to top it all off… my “fat pants” were feeling a bit snug—aaaaaauuuuggghhhhhh! This was shaping up to be a miserable morning. I heard my phone chime and my heart skipped a beat. Had I gotten my times mixed—was I late for work? I snatched my phone off the table and saw the text:

“I just wanted you remind you how amazing you are and how grateful I am that you’re in my life.”

My eyes teared up and my heart swelled. My sister, a busy physician three time zones away, had taken 30 seconds out of her busy schedule and had changed the course of my entire day.

Studies show that one way of increasing your happiness set-point is to practice being grateful. Studies vary slightly in their findings, but in a nutshell, writing down three things daily will raise your level of happiness more than...

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Leadership and Humor: Jolly Good!

As I began the interview for my podcast, I looked at his boyish grin and into his playful eyes. “My guest today is Chade-Meng Tan, and he’ll be sharing his insights on leading with levity.”

Meng got a puzzled look on his face and said, “Levity? Oh, I thought we’d be talking about levitation. I guess I’ll have to throw out my notes!”

“Uh-oh,” I thought. “This might be a disaster!”

Chade-Meng Tan then tipped back his head and laughed. Perhaps I should mention that Meng is known as Google’s Jolly Good Fellow. “Leaders need to establish trust—and humor is one way of establishing trust,” he said.

Recently retired from Google (at age 45), Meng is an award-winning engineer, bestselling author, TED talk presenter (check out his TED talk where he shares his insight: "Compassion Is Fun”), and Co-chair of One Billion Acts of Peace, which has been nominated seven times for the Noble Peace Prize....

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Nonsense Makes The Heart Grow Fonder: How Humor Can Heat Up Your Love Life

“Treat your love life like it’s the ultimate romantic comedy; laugh a lot and kiss when the credits roll.”

- Gregory Godek, author 1001 Ways To Be Romantic

Stand-up comic Michael Elizondo sat in the doctor’s exam room waiting to be seen. When the doctor walked in, he was taken aback by her beauty. “Come here often?” he quipped. She laughed. And as they saying goes… they lived happily ever after.

When it comes to what we’re looking for in a mate, sense of humor ranks as a must-have by both sexes. That being said, men and women are looking for slightly different outcomes when it comes to sense of humor in a soul mate.

Women are looking for someone who will make them laugh. Men, on the other hand, are looking for someone to laugh at their jokes. According to numerous studies, guys who can make a woman laugh are seen as more attractive. And guys feel affirmed and appreciated by a woman who laughs at his jokes.

Humor and romance...

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Humor May Be Hazardous To Your Illness

Many of you may be too young to recall the story of Norman Cousins. The 60-second version: When diagnosed with a degenerative disease (ankylosing spondylitis) he checked himself into a hotel across the street from his hospital, and with the support of his doctor and his friend, Allen Funt (Host of Candid Camera-are you too young to remember that, too???), he basically laughed himself into remission. He wrote a book about his experience, Anatomy of an Illness, and a new era-psychoneuroimmunology began.

Scientists began to study the healing power of humor and validate that there really is truth to the saying, "Laughter's the best medicine." Benefits to your cardiovascular system, your respiratory system, your musculoskeletal system, your immune system, your endocrine system, your nervous system, your digestive system-the evidence grows leaps and bounds daily! But here's my suggestion: Don't wait for further proof. Do a little self-experimentation. Incorporate humor into your daily...

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Humor vs. Terrorism

Three-and-a-half million people rallied throughout France on January 12, 2015 to show unity and to show support for freedom of expression in the face of fanaticism and terrorism. What triggered the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo office? Humor.

Humor?? Yes. Political satire. So are we now going to characterize humor as a weapon? Something to wield and fear? C’mon, we’re more mature than that. (Aren’t we??) (Perhaps we had better warn the editors of Mad Magazine to tread lightly. “What, me worry?”)

Humor, like any form of expression, has a huge range—from the silliness of Teletubbies for toddlers to the “dead seriousness” of sharp political satire. All forms of communication can be used for comfort and connection, and also for influence and intimidation. Yes, humor can be used as a weapon. But it’s not a weapon of mass destruction! It’s a weapon of mass embarrassment.

Satire is one of the more edgy—and often...

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Toys (Humor Challenge Day 22)

Toys aren't just for kids. De-stress! Play with your OWN toys!

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Catastrophize (Humor Challenge Day 21)

Exaggerate and catastrophize icky moments mirthfully until you can put your frustrations in their proper perspective.

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Fun with Siri (Humor Challenge Day 20)

Humor Challenge: You can use your phone for games and videos, but have you ever had a conversation WITH your phone? Hey, Siri!

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Visit a Comedy Club (Humor Challenge Day 19)

Visit a comedy club and experience psychological, physiological, and social benefits.

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Become the Master of Your Remote! (Humor Challenge Day 18)

Numerous studies have been conducted where subjects watched humorous shows for a half hour or more and in study after study, researchers found, over periods of days or weeks (depending on the study) that the subjects experienced lower blood pressure, decreased cortisol, decreased blood sugar (in persons with diabetes), proteins angiotensin, and renin (high levels can lead to kidney disease), decreased muscle tension, and diminished pain.

So today’s humor challenge: become the master of your remote control! Watch 30 minutes of something funny on TV.

It’s enjoyable to watch funny shows when you happen to catch them by chance, but what we’re trying to create in this humor challenge is a habit. I want you to become strategic in the way you get your laughs. Humor by chance is entertaining and does have value. But humor by choice ramps up your benefits to a higher level.

I love Big Bang Theory and have watched the episodes so many times I know most of them by heart. I...

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