May 8

”If you can learn to laugh in spite of the circumstances that surround you, you will enrich others, enrich yourself, and more than that, you will last.” Barbara Johnson

Laughter is part of the healing process. Life is too short to take everything so seriously. I need to remind myself that I am allowed to enjoy the world around me. Laughter is also a way to diffuse my grandiose thinking and bring me back to reality. Sure, I can chose to keep it all in, bury all the emotions, good and bad, within me. And I can well imagine the person I would become over the years, hunched over, grouchy, alone, critical, moody, and simply not much fun to be around. It would be a way to endure, but I am not sure what the quality of life would be. Rather I want to lead a life where I can express my feelings, be in touch with nature, make connections and develop relationships. Working my program is part of a path of enriching my own life rather than depleting it. And in following he steps I am gaining a new capacity to share and thus enrich the lives of others. Laughter is just one of those aspects that is returning to its rightful place in my myriad of positive behaviours and actions.

Affirmation I can laugh, for a good reason or none at all. Laughter is medicine to help with my affliction as much as any other tool of recovery.

December 27

”You cannot hold back a good laugh any more than you can the tide. Both are forces of nature.” William Rotsler

When life has me down and I need to find a way out of my depressed state, I usually have to go no further than looking at the children in my life, my own or those of friends. To see their free spirits, their ability to just have fun, lightens my heart and gives me reason to want to be a part of life rather than staying alone with the thoughts in my head. It also does me good to look at myself and recall those moments when I have done some humorous things. It’s healthy for me to be able to poke fun at myself, to be humble enough to admit I have made some mistakes or taken decisions that were mildly to downright hilarious. Laughter is indeed good medicine. The more I am able to laugh, joke, or cajole with others about my addiction, the less power those experiences hold over me. In viewing my past with irony and even some ridicule, I can distance myself from the all-consuming nature of my inner demons. Knowing that I can make light of former behaviours does not excuse what I have done, but it is a sign of being in recovery and moving forward.

Affirmation Laugh and let go of the hurt and shame of the past. I am human and my mistakes can transform into humour as I move on in a better direction today.

November 30 (64)

”Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” Victor Borge

Realistically my addiction is no laughing matter. It is a damaging aspect of my life that has ruined many relationships and threatened a multitude of others. Yet at the same time I need to be able not to take everything from my past too seriously. I took many dumb risks, found myself in many crazy situations that in retrospect were ridiculous. Laughing about some of my escapades is healthy. It helps diminish the power of fantasy and promise that my addiction offered. It also is humbling and a reminder of my fallibility as a human being. There is often laughter in my meetings and it’s a testament to the bond that forms in our groups. It’s also a reflection of the understanding and compassion that exists for as I believe only and addict truly understands an addict. The ability for me and others to make jokes about our own past behaviours is part of the healing process. One experience as addicts draw us closer to others who suffer in kind. The recognition that I, too, have been there, stretches out my hand for someone else to grab onto, a life line to help pull them onto the path of recovery. Laughter is one of the ropes I can throw to show others that the program does work.

Affirmation My ability to change my perspective of the past, to be able to laugh at myself and my foibles, is a sign of growth and change.

August 15

”Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” Lord Byron

I knew I was in good company in my meetings when I saw others able to make jokes and laugh about their behaviours. It has encouraged me to try and take myself less seriously. Life is not all about responsibility. I have many defects, and have done many things that in retrospect were insane, hilarious, ridiculous and just plain stupid. Being able to laugh at my own foibles helps me to put the past into proper perspective. Laughter can also help deflate the sense of grandeur and importance my addiction feels it deserves. While I can admit it served a purpose in helping me cope in some manner, it certainly does not deserve to be worshipped or held in high-esteem. A little bit of self-ridicule and mocking can go a long way in reminding me that there is a better way to live. Laughter has also been described as the shortest distance between two people. I certainly know it has helped me connect to certain members of my groups. It is a healthy form of intimacy that helps to draw me into close relationships. Opening myself to making jokes about me has the same effect and is a sign I am letting go of old behaviours.

Affirmation Transforming pain into laughter helps me to move forward and loosens the grip of my addictive past.