L is for Laughter, the sun that drives winter from the human face.

You may have heard the quote

"Children laugh 300 times a day and adults laugh only fifteen times a day."

When I heard that I was shocked.

Not by the difference. I was not surprised that children laugh more. Most children don’t have to earn a living, worry about the mortgage, or work out how to get the in-laws together for Christmas. Plus they think farts are funny.

What really surprised me was that I suddenly realized I did not laugh even once a day.

It was a defining moment for me.

I thought I was doing the best for my family by putting up with something that was making me very unhappy.  I wasn’t. My family were not laughing much either.

I had to make some changes in my life. I moved away, changed jobs, (pushed into it by redundancy) and started to do things I enjoyed.

Now I laugh at least as much as most adults. Some days I laugh as much as most children.

That is, if the statistic is true. And after some Internet research, I suspect it is not.

Adults can, and should, laugh as much as children.

We have more control over our environment and can choose to make our lives more fun.

Have you had your laugh quota today? If not, what needs to change?

p.s. The image is from MoreJoy.org. It might be worth a look if you want to read more about laughter in your life.