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For the last several days, you’ve learned about a number of positive reasons to have laughter in your life. One of the biggest advantages of laughter is its ability to draw people together. Laughter is a way to relate to each other that is purely positive. It is a shared experience in the present, and there is nothing serious or judgmental or sad or depressing about it.
Think about the five people that you enjoy spending time with the most. They may each have very different personalities and interests, and you’ve probably shared a number of positive and negative events with them. Is it safe to bet that most or all of them share one trait—the ability to make you laugh?
Laughter is a terrific tool for friendship. If you want to be a good friend to others, laugh with them. You know that you are not an island. You need other people in your life to share your joys and your sorrows. Humor is a way for you to be a really good and healthy and healing friend.
Your assignment today is to journal about what kind of friend you are. What characteristics do you have that make you a good friend? Then write about what characteristics your friends have that you really love. Can you learn anything from your best friends? How can you be a better friend? Spend some time with your friends over the next few days and watch how laughter draws you together.
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“What have I done?” Eli muttered to himself as he stared at the pile of bills on his desk.
Six months ago Eli launched a new business, and now he had nothing but debt to show for it. He had been so sure that he had the right stuff to pull it off. He had a great idea, and he took action. Soon he was buying office furniture, ordering materials, and building his website. It was so easy to get started. But then nothing happened.
Eli didn’t get clients as quickly as he had hoped. He sat in his office staring at his brand-new furnishings and high-tech website, but there was nothing much to do without customers. It had been so easy to launch this endeavor, but in six short months he had managed to fail. How was he going to get out of this mess?
Have you been in a similar situation? Have you felt like quitting when you were barely out of the starting gate? It’s easy to get excited and then end up in so deep that you have no idea how to get out. Eli found himself in that spot, but he did climb out of the hole. He took it one step at a time. First, he got a part-time job to help pay down his current debt. Then, he researched strategies to build his audience. He knew he had a great idea, but he hadn’t yet reached his audience. He became a master of network marketing, and six months later his business started to see a trickle of customers. One year later, he was making some real money. You can find your way out of any mess one step at a time, just like you found your way in. It might take longer, but be patient and keep moving forward.
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Another excuse we have for giving up before we find success is to say that the job is too difficult.
It’s too hard.
I’m not smart enough.
I’ll never learn this.
I’m just not cut out for this job.
Have you used those phrases? Think about the endeavors that you quit before you were successful. Were you really not smart enough, or did you give up too soon? Journal about your experiences with dashed dreams or projects that you gave up on in the past. What stopped you from trudging forward?
Things are almost always difficult before they are easy. There is a learning curve, and you have to be patient enough to get through it. Impatience is a big offender when it comes to ruining an opportunity for success. We all
