How often do you laugh?  When we were kids, we laughed about 400 times a day.  As adults the number of times each day that we laugh plummets to around 20.  What's up with that?  Are we just too serious about everything?

Sure.  Life gets more serious as we mature.  But, can't we stop from time-to-time throughout the day and find more humor in it all; find more ways to laugh?  There's a good reason to think about laughing more.  Here's a few idea starters from recent health studies on laughter.

-   Laughter stimulates the release of healthful hormones into our bloodstream
-   Hard laughter — the side splitting kind — gives our abs a good workout
-   Laughter may boost our immune system
-   It reduces stress.  The human mind cannot hold two completely opposing thoughts at the same time.  Go ahead, try it!

If its been a really long time since you've had a good laugh, you may need a little help remembering to lighten up and enjoy your journey through life.  For starters, get some REEL therapy as in movies.  Check out these funny flicks.

-   What About Bob?
-   The Birdcage
-   State and Main
-   Are We There Yet?
-   Along Came Polly
-   Anger Management
-   Patch Adams
-   The 40 Year Old Virgin

Mary Tyler Moore sitcom fans can still remember that scene at Chuckles the Clown's funeral when Mary couldn't stifle her laughter.  Now that was funny! 

Know any happy people?  Ask them for ideas on keeping life sunny side up.  Or, just spend time with them.  Muse over ways to let their ability to let life roll off their shoulders rub off onto you. 

Read uplifting passages and books.  Try to avoid things and people that drain you of lighter energy.  Train yourself to find at least one good thing in everything that happens.  You'll soon find yourself seeing the silver lining automatically.  After all, the brain can learn new ways of thinking.

However you choose to go about it, learn to lighten up.  We're in this world to love, grow and have fun.  So go ahead.  For no apparent reason, just start laughing your *#@ off!  Who knows, since laughter is so mysteriously contagious others may join in.  It's all good and it's Aging Fabulously!™