LOL

I went for a LOL workshop yesterday by Anand Chulani at a Yoga Room in Sheung Wan. It reinforced certain concepts that is useful to anyone. In order to make someone laugh, you must be concerned or focussed enough on the person to want to make the person laugh. It is true, sometimes we dump all our pain out to the other person listening, and that is not constructive. What would be better is to focus on the solution, not the problem. What do I need to do to solve that problem? Also when you focus on a other person, we will try be in the present, and make them look the best they can, for us to listen and relate to the ideas. Sort of a "I am here to serve you" concept, not making fun of the person and not thinking about yourself first.

It is interesting how in order to relate to others, we need not be perfect. It connects people, and one can take ownership for being inperfect. I like to wear my PJs the whole day and keep cleaning my home, bake at midnight, keep alone sometimes, watch news, like the smell of washing powder, hangout with children, shopping only during sales ... that makes me unique! If i tell this to a client/friend, and at first he could be take aback, but deep down, i have already made a connection if he identified with that trait! We keep incanting, I am so stressed, I am so tired etc, and of course where focus goes, energy flows. By continually reinforcing that idea, it will only make that come true. So we should be really saying "I am sexy, i am sexy"! It is possible to downplay one's language, where replacing the world "problem" with "challenge", say in a business meeting. If in a situation that one needs to vent, Anand suggests to go to a room/toilet and engage in jibberish to express one's frustration. After venting, then one is better placed to face the person/conflict with a clearer mind. Oh another one is to use "Yes... and" to build on an idea, he says this means that one is humble enough to hear and accept the gift that you are giving to me.

It is also helpful to change the posture/physicality of one. Ie by doing exercise in the morning, or the 9,8,7....3,2,1 exercise to losen the major limbs in the morning breaks the pattern, and engages the right side of the mind. If i meet a client who is a No...person, not interested, folds his arms, i could ask him to pass me a glass of water or do something to change his posture so that he breathes differently, so that is shift his posture and breaking his pattern. In short, doing something opposite to what is expected to shift/switch his emotion and make him more receptive. (A side point as to how comedy arises, tension & afterwards release to generate laughs, and mostly laughs are drawn when the actor does something opposite to what is expected.. this is also along the train of breaking the pattern).

The laughter that connects us comes from the heart. He made us think about the 3 people in my life that I am commited to making laugh today and everyday. If i really cared about someone, I would find a way to put a smile on their face. How would my life be if i made myself laugh everyday no matter how many challenges I face? How would my life be if i made the people I love most laugh every day? How would my life be if I made 3 people laugh everyday. How would that feeling multiply and magnify? :-)