Laughter is the best
medicine
Many years ago,
Norman Cousins was diagnosed as “terminally ill”. He was given six months to
live. His chance for recovery was 1 in 500.
He could see the
worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to, and perhaps helped
cause, his disease. He wondered, “If illness can be caused by negativity, can
wellness be created by positivity?”
He decided to make
an experiment of himself. Laughter was one of the most positive activities he
knew. He rented all the funny movies he could find – Keaton, Chaplin, Fields,
the Marx Brothers. (This was before VCRs, so he had to rent the actual films.)
He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said,
heard or did something funny.
His pain was so
great he could not sleep. Laughing for 10 solid minutes, he found, relieved the
pain for several hours so he could sleep.
He
fully recovered from his illness and lived another 20 happy, healthy and
productive years. (His journey is detailed in his book, Anatomy of an Illness.)
He credits visualization, the love of his family and friends, and laughter for
his recovery.
Don't be sad, because the joy of the LORD will
make you strong Neh.8:10 – The BIBLE.
