Wow!! What a roller coaster of a week, full of highs and lows, its all overwhelming. I saw a good friend of mine for the first time in 15 years. I was made Vice President, which means I am the future President of an association I love and respect a lot. I was signed exclusively to a global speaker management team and I ended a long term relationship with the love of my life and the cherry on top …. I was told I have a terminal kidney condition that would end in dialysis and /or a kidney transplant in the next 5 years…. Breathe.

Yes, that all happened in the past 7 days. Now as you know I am the laughter lady and I always say to laugh at life and sometimes that is a real challenge. Oh boy, that was put to test this week. Did I laugh? Actually No I didn’t at first BUT I would like to share how laughter did help me and how it will keep on getting me through this:

Getting through the initial shock

Being able to feel the joy and the sadness of all is very important and laughter has helped me be true to my inner feelings. I think the best thing to do when you have an emotion is to feel it, understand it and yourself and then process it.

For so many years I just planted my emotions and hid them but seriously there’s is only so much a human can take before they will over flow with unprocessed baggage.

So laughter has helped me do just that. I will mope a bit in the beginning, cry, get angry and then let it go. When I finally laugh at what ever it is that is causing the pain it sometimes defuses the negative charge and releases it.

* Learn laugh at yourself – I have this problem – It makes me feel like this and I will let it go and get through it. (Give it a try and let me know how it works for you)

Looking for the positives

Now that we have done that while laughing at it you now open your mind to the possibilities of how you can change the situation or get over it.

Through laughing at it you now can find the positives. Let’s use my kidney news as an example here. So yes I have had this terrible news and yet wow I am so blessed to have these good things:

1. I am in a country where I have great medical care and support
2. With it being a rare disease, I have volunteered to be a research subject to help others
3. I will finally have a base and stay in the UK (something I have never done before)
4. I have family and friends who can support me – that friend of 15 years offered me one of her kidneys if we are a match – (WOW!! That is a true friend)
5. I am a motivational speaker – I can use my voice to inspire others to find their way to a more positive outcome. I can help spread awareness for this disease ( Polycystic Kidney Disease known as PKD)
6. Even after the transplant I can live a fairly normal life, having been given a second chance
7. I am lucky I created a job that is not a normal 9 – 5 in an office so I am free to be treated and still do what I am passionate about
8. And the list goes on YAY!!

* Celebrate life with laughter – no matter how small or big the victory say ‘Very Good, Very Good YAY!!’

Future Proof the Way you Handle your News

By having a daily laughter practice you start to know the inner child and let them out to play. This is so important to help you in the future so you know that ‘Yes, I will get through this’.

*Start finding things to laugh at or with. If you need help there are many outlets online with the Daily Laughers group, or some Skype Laughter Clubs or even join a real club. I know I love my club and we are really a nice group of people that choose to laugh together and help each other through it all.

About the author: To find out more about Jo-Dee Walmsley, please click here.

 

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’