Laughter is the Best Medicine
Want to connect with someone?
Make ‘em laugh.
Want to build relationship fast?
Make ‘em laugh.
Want to get someone to follow your lead?
Make ‘em laugh.
Laughter works at a deeper level than words. It connects people at the emotional level.
My friend Bruce was recently driving a van from New England to Colorado.
It was a business trip; he was carting scenic materials for a festival happening in Aspen.
Bruce was trying to get there as fast as he could.
As he was barreling west on Interstate 80 through Nebraska, he saw the flashing lights of a state trooper behind him.
Bruce pulled over.
The cop asked him for his license and registration.
The pause was thick.
The cop said, “Do you know how fast you were going?”
Bruce replied, “Yes officer. Exactly 83 miles per hour. Because that’s as fast as this van can go.”
Bruce’s quip caught the officer completely off guard. His stoic visage crumbled and he broke out laughing. Big belly laughing.
The office finally composed himself. “Just watch your speed in the future.”
That was it.
No speeding ticket.
No warning.
Just a friendly interchange on the shoulder of I-80.
Where could you use humor to defuse an otherwise tense situation?
Alain Hunkins leads personal and professional development trainings for individuals, teams and organizations. Over the last two decades, Alain has facilitated for over a thousand groups, ranging from at-risk youth to Fortune 500 executives. He moves between the educational, artistic, not-for-profit, government and corporate worlds. Alain sharpened his facilitation skills as an Educational Consultant in New York City, developing programs on many subjects, including Conflict Resolution, Networking, Customer Service, Communication, and Leadership.
Alain earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College and his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee Professional Theater Training Program. He is a certified Leadership Challenge & MBTI facilitator, as well as a certified co-leader for ManKind Project International, whose mission is to help men lead missions of service in their families, communities, and workplaces. Alain completed the New Warrior Training Adventure in 1995.
– is a deeply personal issue that everyone decides for himself. Sometimes the price is high, sometimes low. But this is not very important for life. Life is an interesting thing. And the price on Viagra – too.
