The Grasshopper offered up something yesterday that made me smile: “If you’re not laughing everyday, something’s wrong.”

I don’t think his message suggests becoming a “grinning idiot”; it’s more of a nudge to start noticing the lighter side which is available even on cloudy days.

“Laughter is the best medicine” is an interpretation of Proverbs 17:22 which reads: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit drys up the bones.”

I don’t think I’m revealing any secrets here by saying that miserable people are dried up and their brittleness infuses everything they do.

Misery and looking for the lighter side are both mindsets. One takes you down a dark road; the other offers brighter options.

Norman Cousins was a journalist and author of the book Anatomy of an Illness. After suffering a life-threatening disease, he discovered alleviation through laughter. Quoting Cousins, “I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.”

It’s in your best interest to regularly find something to laugh about. The soothing result is this: Finding time for mirth makes your existence less painful on earth.

Final thought: If you choose to remain steeped in misery, it’s nothing to laugh about because the joke’s on you.

All the best,

John