you
[Music]
World Peace through laughter unrealistic
ideal or path to a better future keep
that thought in your head we’re going to
come back to it later first I need to
see you smile okay everyone kind of hurt
me to see you but turn on big bright
smiles let’s light up the room I’m going
to look at every face to make sure
you’re smiling okay we don’t have time
to do that but front row you’re doing
great okay it feels good doesn’t it when
you’re smiling it’s hard to feel sad
angry or upset but I have a question for
you where those smiles fake get you were
smiling because I told you to smile and
yet the warmth I could see and feeling
those smiles and the warmth you felt
them giving me those smiles was real
okay that’s interesting now let’s turn
up the energy levels in the room by
jumping right into our first
laughter activity okay I’m going to need
your help and I call this one laugh
track laughter and I call it just
because it’s just like how they make the
laugh tracks for the sitcoms you watch
on TV you did know that that was fake
laughter right okay so here’s how it’s
going to work when I raise my arms up
you’re going to laugh give me a good
solid laugh and you want to break them
down you got to cut it off total silence
and we’ll do that a couple times so
let’s see how good you all are it
actually just laughing okay you ready
let’s do it and now okay good job you
just had a bonding experience
by laughing with the people in this room
you’ve made a connection and the people
walking by outside hearing this they
want to be in here with us for sure so
the laughter you just experienced was
what we call laughter on demand or
voluntary laughter okay and as much as I
love voluntary laughter I also love to
always look for the humor in mirth
that’s all around us and my years as a
fourth grade teacher was awesome some of
the strongest connections I would make
with my students were formed through my
use of humorous stories from my
childhood
and you know kids they don’t realize
that their teachers were kids once
themselves and so this you know really
formed a bond and probably one of the
favorite stories I would tell was of the
time I got in really big trouble for
doing exactly what my mother told me to
do now the kids this would really get
their interest because for one they have
a strong sense of fairness and getting
in trouble for doing something you were
told to do that’s just not fair and also
they’d love to hear about any time their
teacher got in trouble of course so I
would tell of the night when I was about
their age and my mom was serving dinner
and she said these exact words to me
Clint I want you to eat every carrot and
pee on your plate so I did I ate every
kid and then I peed on my plate the kids
would howl for shock-and-awe hands would
shoot into the air mr. darng that isn’t
what she meant and I would just shake my
head sadly and say I wish I would have
known that back then you wouldn’t
believe how much trouble I got in so
laughter has always been a part of my
life and I was blessed to have parents
that loved to laugh as well and although
I’ve had my shares of ups and downs and
challenges like everyone else laughter
has always brought my family together
and now I have three daughters of my own
here with us tonight and I hope I have
passed on to them what my mom and dad
gave to me and all their laughter has
always been a part of my life it wasn’t
until about two years ago that I thought
the calling to share this important
message with others after 14 years as a
classroom teacher I now work in the
field of after-school education and I
absolutely love it
I was encouraged to present at the
National after-school Association
conference in Washington DC two years
ago and I was debating on a topic my
wife and soul mate Judy is also with us
here tonight she had a simple suggestion
present on something you know and love
so my presentation that I call you got a
laugh was born
and unlike tonight’s brief talk at the
conference I had an hour to talk about
the importance and the benefits of
laughter and how the attendees could put
laughter into the
personal and professional lives and just
before the conference
I earned my laughter yoga leader
certification yes laughter Yoga is a
real thing and I use some of those
activities in my presentation and since
that time I’ve been asked to repeat that
presentation at conferences and
workshops across the nation you might
say the response has been laughable so
that brings us to this moment in time
here tonight when I get to share my joy
and passion for laughter with you so
what makes laughter a great a perfect
topic for tonight’s theme of citizen
well it’s quite simple
laughter brings people together it’s
like a universal language and I could
talk at length about the proven health
physical emotional social benefits of
laughter how it strengthens our immune
system how it promotes healing reduces
stress how it increases self-esteem
makes us more approachable and likeable
to others but instead of talking about
it let’s just experience once again for
ourselves with another quick activity
from my laughter yoga class and this one
is called cellphone laughter and I need
your help because the power of the
activity is in your participation so
what’s going to happen go ahead and get
out your imaginary cell phones and on my
count of three you’re going to listen
for a few seconds and you’re going to
hear the funniest darn thing you ever
heard in your life and then you’re going
to laugh like you just heard the
funniest darn thing you’ve ever heard in
your life
okay and feel free to share your
imaginary cell phone with those around
you so they can hear what you thought
was so funny
all right you with me one two three
[Laughter]
okay mom I gotta go I’m in the middle of
a TED talk for crying out loud
love you too you know I think she might
have heard me okay so you feel that
bubbly feeling inside and that was from
voluntary laughter or what some people
would call fake laughter but the thing
is our bodies don’t know the difference
can you experience the physical and
emotional benefits of laughter and it
didn’t cost you a thing well unless you
count count the cost of admission to get
in here tonight but it’s a wonderful
thing and you need to all experience the
joy of laughter and our moments here
together tonight are precious and few’
so before I go I want to make three
points number one everyone can laugh
from time to time people will tell me
well it’s easy for you to tell people to
laugh because you’re in a position where
you can laugh you’re not oppressed you
have a home a job a family food on your
table and others don’t have these
necessities that for them laughter is
not an option that they don’t have
anything to laugh about and I truly
believe that it’s these citizens that
most need to find and experience the joy
of laughter and they can Abraham Lincoln
feeling the pressure of the presidency
during the Civil War said with the
dreadful strain that is on me night and
day if I did not laugh I should die
point number two laughter will have a
positive effect on you it’s been
researched and proven that if you laugh
on a regular basis you will be healthier
and happier and number three by making
you healthier and happier laughter will
make you a stronger better member of
your community a better citizen imagine
getting together with a group of
community members to work out issues or
problems and starting the meeting with a
laughter activities like we did here
tonight and think of the positive energy
and good feelings that would then lead
to positive outcome
so remember everyone can laugh laughter
will have a positive effect and laughter
will make you a better citizen now in
closing I want to come back around to
where we started
World Peace through laughter is the
motto of laughter yoga University the
organization that certifies laughter
yogurt leaders and trainers and tonight
we’ve heard from a lot of awesome
speakers on a lot of serious issues
issues that can’t be laughed away issues
that need our attention but please don’t
let that make you think that laughter is
a frivolous activity that we don’t have
time for laughter is a starting point to
bringing our world together and it
starts with you
so help me in my quest to show the world
that laughter is not a luxury but a
necessity John Lennon wrote and sang a
song asking us to imagine living for
today living life in peace sharing all
the world tonight I’m asking you to not
just imagine this better world but to
help make it come true by laughing laugh
with yourself with your family with your
co-workers as well as your competitors
with your friends as well as with your
enemies together let’s prove that world
peace through laughter is not such a
far-fetched concept now if you feel
compelled to applaud the message you
heard here tonight please do something
for yourself as well and add laughter to
that applause keep laughing thank you
and good night
you
[Music]
you
[Music]
World Peace through laughter unrealistic
ideal or path to a better future keep
that thought in your head we’re going to
come back to it later first I need to
see you smile okay everyone kind of hurt
me to see you but turn on big bright
smiles let’s light up the room I’m going
to look at every face to make sure
you’re smiling okay we don’t have time
to do that but front row you’re doing
great okay it feels good doesn’t it when
you’re smiling it’s hard to feel sad
angry or upset but I have a question for
you where those smiles fake get you were
smiling because I told you to smile and
yet the warmth I could see and feeling
those smiles and the warmth you felt
them giving me those smiles was real
okay that’s interesting now let’s turn
up the energy levels in the room by
jumping right into our first
laughter activity okay I’m going to need
your help and I call this one laugh
track laughter and I call it just
because it’s just like how they make the
laugh tracks for the sitcoms you watch
on TV you did know that that was fake
laughter right okay so here’s how it’s
going to work when I raise my arms up
you’re going to laugh give me a good
solid laugh and you want to break them
down you got to cut it off total silence
and we’ll do that a couple times so
let’s see how good you all are it
actually just laughing okay you ready
let’s do it and now okay good job you
just had a bonding experience
by laughing with the people in this room
you’ve made a connection and the people
walking by outside hearing this they
want to be in here with us for sure so
the laughter you just experienced was
what we call laughter on demand or
voluntary laughter okay and as much as I
love voluntary laughter I also love to
always look for the humor in mirth
that’s all around us and my years as a
fourth grade teacher was awesome some of
the strongest connections I would make
with my students were formed through my
use of humorous stories from my
childhood
and you know kids they don’t realize
that their teachers were kids once
themselves and so this you know really
formed a bond and probably one of the
favorite stories I would tell was of the
time I got in really big trouble for
doing exactly what my mother told me to
do now the kids this would really get
their interest because for one they have
a strong sense of fairness and getting
in trouble for doing something you were
told to do that’s just not fair and also
they’d love to hear about any time their
teacher got in trouble of course so I
would tell of the night when I was about
their age and my mom was serving dinner
and she said these exact words to me
Clint I want you to eat every carrot and
pee on your plate so I did I ate every
kid and then I peed on my plate the kids
would howl for shock-and-awe hands would
shoot into the air mr. darng that isn’t
what she meant and I would just shake my
head sadly and say I wish I would have
known that back then you wouldn’t
believe how much trouble I got in so
laughter has always been a part of my
life and I was blessed to have parents
that loved to laugh as well and although
I’ve had my shares of ups and downs and
challenges like everyone else laughter
has always brought my family together
and now I have three daughters of my own
here with us tonight and I hope I have
passed on to them what my mom and dad
gave to me and all their laughter has
always been a part of my life it wasn’t
until about two years ago that I thought
the calling to share this important
message with others after 14 years as a
classroom teacher I now work in the
field of after-school education and I
absolutely love it
I was encouraged to present at the
National after-school Association
conference in Washington DC two years
ago and I was debating on a topic my
wife and soul mate Judy is also with us
here tonight she had a simple suggestion
present on something you know and love
so my presentation that I call you got a
laugh was born
and unlike tonight’s brief talk at the
conference I had an hour to talk about
the importance and the benefits of
laughter and how the attendees could put
laughter into the
personal and professional lives and just
before the conference
I earned my laughter yoga leader
certification yes laughter Yoga is a
real thing and I use some of those
activities in my presentation and since
that time I’ve been asked to repeat that
presentation at conferences and
workshops across the nation you might
say the response has been laughable so
that brings us to this moment in time
here tonight when I get to share my joy
and passion for laughter with you so
what makes laughter a great a perfect
topic for tonight’s theme of citizen
well it’s quite simple
laughter brings people together it’s
like a universal language and I could
talk at length about the proven health
physical emotional social benefits of
laughter how it strengthens our immune
system how it promotes healing reduces
stress how it increases self-esteem
makes us more approachable and likeable
to others but instead of talking about
it let’s just experience once again for
ourselves with another quick activity
from my laughter yoga class and this one
is called cellphone laughter and I need
your help because the power of the
activity is in your participation so
what’s going to happen go ahead and get
out your imaginary cell phones and on my
count of three you’re going to listen
for a few seconds and you’re going to
hear the funniest darn thing you ever
heard in your life and then you’re going
to laugh like you just heard the
funniest darn thing you’ve ever heard in
your life
okay and feel free to share your
imaginary cell phone with those around
you so they can hear what you thought
was so funny
all right you with me one two three
[Laughter]
okay mom I gotta go I’m in the middle of
a TED talk for crying out loud
love you too you know I think she might
have heard me okay so you feel that
bubbly feeling inside and that was from
voluntary laughter or what some people
would call fake laughter but the thing
is our bodies don’t know the difference
can you experience the physical and
emotional benefits of laughter and it
didn’t cost you a thing well unless you
count count the cost of admission to get
in here tonight but it’s a wonderful
thing and you need to all experience the
joy of laughter and our moments here
together tonight are precious and few’
so before I go I want to make three
points number one everyone can laugh
from time to time people will tell me
well it’s easy for you to tell people to
laugh because you’re in a position where
you can laugh you’re not oppressed you
have a home a job a family food on your
table and others don’t have these
necessities that for them laughter is
not an option that they don’t have
anything to laugh about and I truly
believe that it’s these citizens that
most need to find and experience the joy
of laughter and they can Abraham Lincoln
feeling the pressure of the presidency
during the Civil War said with the
dreadful strain that is on me night and
day if I did not laugh I should die
point number two laughter will have a
positive effect on you it’s been
researched and proven that if you laugh
on a regular basis you will be healthier
and happier and number three by making
you healthier and happier laughter will
make you a stronger better member of
your community a better citizen imagine
getting together with a group of
community members to work out issues or
problems and starting the meeting with a
laughter activities like we did here
tonight and think of the positive energy
and good feelings that would then lead
to positive outcome
so remember everyone can laugh laughter
will have a positive effect and laughter
will make you a better citizen now in
closing I want to come back around to
where we started
World Peace through laughter is the
motto of laughter yoga University the
organization that certifies laughter
yogurt leaders and trainers and tonight
we’ve heard from a lot of awesome
speakers on a lot of serious issues
issues that can’t be laughed away issues
that need our attention but please don’t
let that make you think that laughter is
a frivolous activity that we don’t have
time for laughter is a starting point to
bringing our world together and it
starts with you
so help me in my quest to show the world
that laughter is not a luxury but a
necessity John Lennon wrote and sang a
song asking us to imagine living for
today living life in peace sharing all
the world tonight I’m asking you to not
just imagine this better world but to
help make it come true by laughing laugh
with yourself with your family with your
co-workers as well as your competitors
with your friends as well as with your
enemies together let’s prove that world
peace through laughter is not such a
far-fetched concept now if you feel
compelled to applaud the message you
heard here tonight please do something
for yourself as well and add laughter to
that applause keep laughing thank you
and good night
you
[Music]
you
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