Contents
#1 Happiness Qualities PDF
#2 Questions on Happiness PDF
#3 Happiness! PDF
#4 Happiness Action Plan PDF
Humor
#5 Sense of Humor PDF
#6 Sense of Humor Qualities PDF
#7 What would Saturn Man do? PDF
#8 Good Humor Policy PDF
Laughter
#9 Laughing at Yourself PDF
#10 Wishing you an A-BUN-DANCE of laughter!
#1 Happiness Qualities
During the past several years the Abundance Company has distilled from research and 1,000’s of observations, interviews and surveys a list of the qualities that happy people possess. In our seminars we asked participants to identify the traits of people who they think have a great sense of humor.
What do funny people do? What are their secrets of happiness? What are the attributes people who are joyful and successful?
Our list represents 30 general awareness, attitudes, attributes and actions of happy people. The individual expression of happiness is boundless, immeasurable, limitless, infinite, enormous and immense. Being happy is synonymous with a wellness lifestyle.
When you see a happy person, find out what they do to become so.
What qualities would you add to the list?
Review the 30 qualities of happiness. How would you rate your level of happiness on a scale from 1 to 10 ( your highest potential)?
Which of these happiness qualities would you like to develop? Raise your skill level of happiness, develop an action plan and practice being happy.
believes he/she deserves to be happy
finds pleasure in daily events
smiles & laughs with ease
has cosmic and comic perspectives
looks within for the source of joy
plays for the sake of play
extracts pure joy in the moment
acts childlike rather than childish
delights in surprises
sees life as an adventure
can laugh at oneself
realizes all pleasure is self-generated
possesses an abundance mentality
is playful & lighthearted
has positive attitude & outlook
acts spontaneously
plays with problems
makes pleasure a priority
welcomes the unexpected
is self-entertaining & rarely bored
nurtures one’s sense of humor
doesn’t take self too seriously
lives one’s dreams
uninhibited innocence & childlike wonder
has a wide range of humor styles
able to fantasize & pretend
performs random acts of kindness
lives in gratitude & bestows appreciation
has a sense of belonging
#2 Questions on Happiness
Reflect on these questions and discuss with friends, family, coworkers and new people you meet.
Who are you? Who are you becoming?
How does your life make a difference?
How do you find love and happiness?
How do you define happiness?
What are your sources of happiness?
When are you the happiest?
How do you like to play?
What new ways to have fun that you have added to your life?
What have been some of your peak experiences?
Who are the people that make you laugh?
Who have been your inspiring role models of happiness?
What are the barriers that you have erected that block your happiness?
What brings you pleasure and joy?
What is the ratio of pain and pleasure in your life?
How would you describe your sense of humor?How do you amuse yourself?
What kind of funny stories do you like to tell?
What do others find funny about you?
What are some examples of the times you have been able to laugh at yourself?
How frequently do you make others smile?
What would you like an abundance of ?
Do you enjoy receiving and giving funny gifts?
What are some of your favorite cartoons jokes, movies, sayings and pictures?
What are some of the funny and crazy things that have happen to you?
What has been one of the happiest days
of your life?
What is an example of a big mistake that you are glad you did not make?
What would you be willing to do to double the love and laughter in your life?
How do you brighten your spirit?
During this stage of your life what brings you happiness?
Do you want to be happier?
#3 Happiness!
You will discover the meaning of life when you have a life full of meaning.
Happiness is the result of doing our best.
Live each moment with as much grace and gratitude as possible.
Creativity and imagination create peak experiences.
We are richest when we need the least.
Love and happiness are sacred paths.
Our brightest moments come when we help ourselves and others out of the darkness.
Joy lives in the now.
A person who can experience deep sadness is more likely to experience deep happiness.
Acts of virtue create an abundance of love.
Find the heaven in hell.
Our happiness is intertwined like the fibers of an oriental rug.
The happier you are with yourself, the happier you are with others.
When you are thirsty, a glass of water is divine.
Happiness happens when our actions benefit others.
Instead of trying to find happiness let happiness find you.
Give yourself the freedom to be the happiest person you know.
If you are happy and you know it, let your face show it.
Be happy. Be.
#4 Happiness Action Plan
Positive Attitude & Outlook
Sense of Humor
Seeks Pleasure & Joy
Cosmic Perspective
Playful & Lighthearted
Delights in Small Wonders
Abundance Mentality
Loves Life & Work
Wide Range of Interests
Inner Peace & Harmony
Evaluate your skill level in this inventory category on a scale from 1 to 10.
Which skill do you want to strengthen at this time?
Which skill is too low and causing you problems?
#5 Sense of Humor
Humor expands your thinking and rewires your brain. We are born with five senses which generally grow as we grow. But our sense of humor requires training, practice and attention to achieve competence. Five of senses have an organ associated with them: the eyes, ears, mouth, nose and skin. The entire body is the organ for our sense of humor. All our senses are feeding us information that can be used for pleasure and play.
Our sense of humor adds sparkle to other virtues. Humor is a special human skill, a mode of expression, a choice in how we respond to situations. The benefits of a well-developed sense of humor are literally endless. Healthy humor boosts our immunity, conveys “I am approachable,” lowers defensiveness, promotes trust, enriches life by building intimacy, brightens our spirits, brings forth good will and instills hope. All of these qualities assist us in our personal and professional lives. A good sense of humor is an essential stress survival skill.
Problems occur when someone’s humor skills are underdeveloped or were repressed repeatedly when they were young. A big problem occurs when someone tries to make one style of humor fit every situation. It is better to have a grab bag of tricks from which to pull.
Good humor is wisdom and wit combined.
Finding just the right amount of humor requires discretion, and creative adaptation shows we care. We can learn to customize our style of humor to the temperament of another. All this occurs in a split second without sacrificing spontaneity. Mastering these complex social dynamics is a big challenge when we are dealing with a new person. Below is a sampling of questions to ask yourself before being humorous:
Is this a good time?
What is the mood of the individual or group?
What is a sensitive style that will work with this person?
What type of humor is best for this situation?
How much playfulness is appropriate here?
Being socially sensitive requires understanding that one joke may sit well with one person and fall flat with another. It is important to know when not to engage one’s humor externally. It’s just plain smart to refrain from saying something that you think is funny when others would not share your amusement. Telling true, funny, personal stories is usually better than repeating jokes. Many people find jokes hard to remember and it’s easy to screw up the punch line. We all have the creative license to tweak the facts a little, for effect. It is better to invite people to laugh with you rather than trying to “make” people laugh.
Humor heals.
Humor is the best medicine when the spirit is down. Just the right dose makes pain bearable, reduces tension and helps us to cope with tragedies.
#6 Sense of Humor Qualities
This is a list of traits of people who have a great sense of humor. Which of these attributes would you like to develop? What traits would you add to the list?
Believes they have a good life because they seek out the good in life.
Knows that feeling good is an inside job.
Understands that happiness is a result of ones virtues.
Surrounds themselves with fun friends.
Are warm and friendly.
Has a wide variety of ways they like to play.
Delights in surprises and sees life as an adventure.
Loves being alive and make the most of each moment.
Believes they deserve to be happy.
Chooses to look at life with a positive attitude.
Enjoys a well developed self-esteem.
Assumes responsibility for their happiness.
Takes good care of themselves.
Abounds with energy and enthusiasm.
Remain young at heart.
Gives being happy a top priority.
Acts spontaneously, does the unexpected.
Are sensitive to others’ feelings.
Laughs at themselves.
What would Saturn Man Do?
Laughter is aerobic exercise for the spirit.
Good humor is wisdom and wit combined.
The best way to improve your sense of humor is to learn to laugh at yourself.
Instead of rolling with the punches. Duck!
When righting a wrong make sure it is the right wrong to right.
How is your laugh life? Once a week is not enough!
I believe that 100% of all of the love and laughter, fun and friends is self-created.
We will make a world of difference … one act of kindness at a time.
Comic vision is the ability to see life from a light-hearted perspective.
Laughter brings out the best in us.
When I want to feel happy I just imagine being in a pen of warm puppies.
Laughter is the best antidote for distress.
A good laugh is good for business.
When you can play with a problem you can solve it.
Do your best and forget about the rest.
Be kind to the humor impaired.
Q.T.I.P. — Quit Taking It Personally
Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Which would you rather have.
Scarcity or abundance it’s your choice.
Shift Happens!
Feeling down … LQQK UP!
This is our time above ground.
Act crazy so you stay sane.
Every day of the week is Funday.
Moomba…Let’s play.
Humor Heals the Heart.
Impossible or I’m possible?
I can have a breakdown or a breakthrough.
Convert deadlines into finish lines where everyone is a winner.
Fight/Flight…or Fun & Flow
Reverse your attitude to raise your altitude.
Magic happens when you ask for what you want.
You deserve to double the love and laughter in your life.
“Brain Farts” are the dumb things we say when we are under too much pressure.
Transform nowhere to … now here.
Kung Fu is an ancient martial art. Today we need to learn “Tongue Fu” the modern art of emotional self-defense.
Ride in the front seat of the roller coaster of life.
Happiness happens one smile at a time. So speed up your Smiles Per Hour.
The mind cannot absorb what the butt cannot endure.
Saturn Man Pledge: I promise to play everyday for the rest of my life.
#8 Good Humor Policy
A good humor policy at work defines what is humorous and what is not. What is often called humor contains too much hostility. Humor is an invitation to join in the fun and an expression of feeling good.
Good humor always shows you care.
When a person uses sarcasm to make people to laugh. But there is an uneasiness in their laughter because they realize that the sarcasm might be directed at them some day. People will attempt to keep a safe distance. Some people think that being sarcastic is an ok form of humor. But when sarcasm is directed at someone in a mean-spirited manner it is not humor but hostility. The word sarcasm comes from the word scar as to tear flesh. We need to monitor our behavior to keep it respectful.
Here is a list to help contrast the differences between humor and hostility.
Humor is: Hostility is:
mature childish
caring cruel
rewarding punishing
encouraging discouraging
respectful diminishing
bonding alienating
playful teasing
empathic insensitive
welcoming excluding
unifying divisive
tender nasty
appreciative shaming
constructive destructive
compassionate humiliating
healing harmful
complimentary offensive
warm cold
#9 Laughing at Yourself
Certainly, one of the best ways to be happy and improve your sense of humor is to learn to laugh at yourself. Laughing at your errors helps you to back up, realize you goofed and say I am sorry. Admitting that you are not right all the time takes the pressure off. An inward look helps you perceive yourself in a realistic manner. It is always better for you to catch your own flaws than have someone else point them out to you.
Do your best and forget about the rest.
Humor makes it easier to see the truth. Life is a constant source of amusement. The more you laugh at yourself, the less others are inclined to laugh at you. People around you are aware that you have faults just like them. By laughing at yourself, you invite others to laugh with you
Ironically, if you take yourself too seriously, others won’t take you seriously at all. If you laugh at your own imperfections, a tone is set that invites others to laugh at their transgressions. People trust those who are willing to face their own character.
Being able to laugh at yourself is a saving grace. Do your best to admit when you have made a mistake. It’s easier for others to be forgiving when yo are aware of your blunders. When you forgive your mistakes, others trust that you will be forgiving when they make a blunder. Consider it a personal victory to be aware of your weaknesses.
Notice your reactions when you are around someone pretentious or who talks in a self-righteousness, arrogant manner. Such people are frequently humor impaired. No one is so important that there isn’t something funny about them.
Being able to laugh at one’s own bloopers is an advanced virtue, a trait that requires the capacity to see all of one’s self. In a hand mirror we may only see our face, but objective self-study is like being surrounded by full-length mirrors. An honest and insightful reflection of this sort is always revealing, never self-degrading.
Laughing at yourself requires a high level of self-analysis. It is important to have an accurate sense of proportion about one’s abilities rather than exaggerated importance. When we cannot laugh at ourselves, others laugh behind our backs. Respectfully poke fun at the illusion of perfection and not the person. We all have blind spots and need to help each other to laugh at ourselves. The necessary skill is a degree of awareness to see oneself as others see you.
When you can laugh at yourself no one else’s laughter can hurt you.
#10 Wishing You an A-Bun-Dance of Love and Laughter!
a•bun•dance1 (a-bun´-dans)v. [Lat. abundans, to abound, p.part. of abundare, to overflow.] 1. a. The act of wiggling one’s buns in a wild dance-like motion, alone or with Kindred Spirits: frolic. b. A swinging motion that starts at the hips, moving side to side, bobbing up and down and in circles, and then spreads to all of the body: spiral of delight slang : shake your bootie; let’s boogie. 2. a. A light-hearted rhythmic style of dance with big smiles accompanied by shouts of delight, with or without music. < Let’s do abundance.> b. A mix of belly dancing and folk dance where spontaneously whirling dancers may obtain excited emotional ecstasy; may include bun-to-bun dancing in a massage-like fashion, with permission where appropriate. —
n. 1. The belief in the fullness of life: bountiful < Abundance is everywhere. > 2. The action or expression of the attitude of gratitude: celebration < I celebrate the abundance of love in my life. > 3. Creating an extremely plentiful life, richly supplied with friends, where the focus is on belonging and not belongings. < The little joys and simple acts of kindness create an inner sense of abundance. >
syns: copious, teeming, lavish, exuberant, bumper, bottomless, fruitful, productive, fertile, well-supplied, bursting, alive, generous, plenty. core meaning : to feel both an inner and outer wealth of love and friendship.
ant: insufficient, deficient, lousy, avoidance (as in: void of dance), scarcity as in: scar city; core meaning: < beliefs which result in scarcity thinking.>
Word history: The word a bun dance was regarded as sinful in a dictionary published in 1755. The reader is warned that “a bun dance is unregulated and likely to cause celebrations including loud singing, disorderly dancing and even mass hysteria.”
1Open up, slow down, and see the word abundance as A Bun Dance! The message was always there to see. This word play can help to lighten one’s perspective. Notice the abundance of beauty that surrounds us. From now on, each time you see or hear the word abundance it will have a new meaning: A Bun Dance!