(390) An Inbuilt Button that can Change the World?
Whenever I feel a burning turmoil within or emotions become too overwhelming to bear, I turn to my best friend and gaze into her face, as though searching for an antidote. I actually have a fairly pleasant face. But the moment I stand before my best friend, I turn into a walking picture of misery! Whom should I blame? Myself, of course, for foolishly stumbling into an emotional pit and sinking into low spirits. Sigh! How much more precious life have I wasted? Time to call it a day and snap out of it!
One, two, three — let’s go! Ha ha… ha, ha ha, ha ha ha! I chuckle, laugh out loud, bend over laughing, my eyes narrowing into slits. My best friend follows in perfect sync. I flash an even wider grin and burst into hearty laughter; my friend responds in perfect harmony. In an instant, the dark clouds over my forehead disperse. The heavy boulder on my chest is shattered by waves of laughter, and a warm current begins to surge within me. OK, crisis averted!
I’ve managed to climb out of the mud pit, thanks to my best friend staying by my side and giving me such powerful support.
The above was my personal self-rescue technique, developed years ago. You see, I was born a little crybaby, convinced that looking pitiful and crying my heart out would win me the affection of the adults around me. But one stern warning from my parents — “Stop crying, or we’ll sell you off!” — was enough to silence me instantly. I quickly learned to wipe away my tears and put on a smile.
Later, as I wandered the streets, a smile became my passport to navigating the world with ease. Perhaps when people saw this silly creature who did nothing but grin, who could possibly bring themselves to hurt her? No matter how many twists and turns life threw at me, I laughed my way through them. Yet whenever negative emotions came knocking, I still needed a way to rescue myself. And so, I stumbled upon the little trick described above.
Oh dear! I’ve been rambling on about myself and nearly forgotten to introduce my best friend: Mr. Mirror! Dear friends, a mirror is truly one of the best companions you could ever have. Try standing before one and putting on a sad or angry face. What do you see reflected back at you? Now switch to a hearty, carefree laugh. Take a moment to observe the state of the person in the mirror. What do you feel?
A mirror simply reflects your every movement exactly as it is, doesn’t it?
I still remember the first time I stood before it and laughed with all my might. As I kept laughing and laughing, tears suddenly began to flow. It dawned on me that at any given moment, the mirror can reflect only one expression. Naturally, I choose to smile — who would deliberately choose to wear a miserable, tear-stained face?
I recorded the entire process as a reminder to myself for the future: Always remain aware and mindful, and consciously choose how you wish to be. After all, life is a mirror. It reflects the way we choose to show up in each moment. When we consciously choose joy, we open ourselves to a more beautiful experience of life.
Having embraced my best friend, the mirror, and discovered this natural-born remedy, I’ve been eagerly sharing it with my dear friends wherever life takes me. In our cities, countless people rush about like robots, endlessly caught up in the daily grind. Finding something to laugh about has become a challenge of almost epic proportions!
That’s why I recently launched a “Laugh Out Loud Campaign,” sharing my own laughter videos far and wide. My hope is to encourage everyone to activate the wonderful laughter switch we were all born with. Skip the overthinking. Let the laughter arise naturally from the heart, and laugh wholeheartedly, without holding back! Then pause and feel what your body is telling you.
After just one week of practicing together, feedback began pouring in from people of all walks of life. Here are a few excerpts:
“When chest tightness and headaches strike, my old habits of panicking and worrying quickly take over. I look at the miserable face in the mirror. When I can no longer stand the sight of it, I burst out laughing. At first, it feels rather forced. But as I keep laughing, a warm current begins to flow through me. I continue, and the furrow in the face staring back at me gradually smooths away. I start to feel lighter and more relaxed. To my surprise, the discomfort seemed to ease.”
“When I’m not laughing, my chest feels constricted and my breathing becomes rapid. But the moment I laugh, my body feels like a series of open channels, allowing energy to flow through. My chest feels so much freer!”
“When work gets hectic, my shoulders tense up, and my whole body turns cold and rigid. But the moment I unleash my laughter, my body quickly warms up, and my heart seems to open in an instant. What a wonderful feeling!”
Gathering these heartfelt accounts from everyone has filled me with immense warmth and joy. Yes! All you need to do is switch from a stiff, poker face to pressing your LAUGHTER BUTTON and keep laughing for five minutes. Don’t worry about anything else. Let your body find its own way through laughter and break free from whatever is holding it back.
From that moment on, your world can turn upside down — for you have activated the laughter power that can turn the tide and transform your world! Don’t believe me? Come and put it into practice yourself. Experience it firsthand, and see what unfolds!
(To be continued…)
