Laughter The Re-centering Hack
by Sueños on 01/11/17
With the extreme cold we received in Utah my heated water supply to my travel trailer froze. When my girlfriend woke up to get ready in the morning, water didn't come out of the faucet. She shrugged it off, and we both left for work. I came home to find my travel trailer looking like it had seen a flash flood. As the day warmed up, the water in the water supply melted allowing water to flow all day into the gray water tank. Toiletries littered the floor, and water was pouring out of every loose floor board. I looked around at the electrical work that would probably need some repair, the carpet that now needed to be replaced, and the water damage showing on almost every wall. What did I do? I laughed, in fact I laughed so hard I thought I was going to cry. Here's why.
Had I chosen the opposite response, had I gotten mad, what good what it have done me? I could have blamed my girlfriend, who already felt terrible, but all that would do is hurt her feelings. That still does nothing to deal with the water damage, carpet, or wiring. Even if I was the most mad I had ever been, I would still have to mop up all the water and clear it out of the RV.
Anger, as an emotion, is only useful for protecting oneself from bears, and wild animals. However, when it comes to dealing with the highly cognitive world we live in, it almost always makes the situation worse. After I was done laughing, I was able to think about the problem more critically. Something I wouldn't have done, had I been angry. I got busy at pulling up the carpet, drying the floor and walls, and in just a couple of hours we were all clear.
When we are faced with adversity, it can be very easy to allow anger to be our go to emotion. However, I'm sure you can think of several instances where your anger got the better of you and the outcome was less than extraordinary. In almost all cases I find that laughter is the best alternative. It will always bring you back to center, and that's where your best solutions lie.
This is a guest blog by one of our coaches. If you like what you read, check out his blog at www.wonderingintomyself.com
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