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GET MORE LAUGHTER IN YOUR LIFE!
David Granirer - North America's Psychotherapist/Stand-Up Comic
Volume 2, Issue 11
Editor: David Granirer, david@psychocomic.com
Publisher: David Granirer
www.psychocomic.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
1. Welcome From The Publisher/Joke
2. Laughing Away Your Fears
3. What's Good Stories
4. An Opportunity To Help
5. Classified Ads
6. Contact Information

PRIVACY STATEMENT: WE WILL NOT DISTRIBUTE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO ANYONE. PERIOD. 

1. WELCOME FROM THE PUBLISHER

****We’ve moved!****

After six and a half years at Café Madeleine, we are moving the location of our shows ‘cause they’ve sold the place. The new location is Flori’s Coffee Centre, 3851 East Hastings in North Burnaby, 2 blocks east of Boundary. Clean, intelligent comedy in a smoke-free environment, Fridays at 8:00 p.m. Reservations recommended (604) 294-8505. Bring in this newsletter and you don’t have to pay the $2.00 cover charge. If you’re planning on coming on Dec 21, 28, or January 4 please call first as we may or may not be on holiday.

2. THIS MONTH'S JOKE

To help you lighten up, Iíve decided to start every issue with a joke. If anyone has some good clean jokes that are reasonably short, feel free to email them to me at david@psychocomic.com

Thanks again to Eva Sharell for more humor:

A collection of documentation statements actually found on patient's
charts during a recent review of medical records. These statements were
written by various health care professionals including (we are afraid) a
doctor or two at several major hospitals.

Bleeding started in the rectal area and continued all the way to Los
Angeles.

The baby was delivered, the cord clamped and cut, and handed to the
pediatrician, who breathed and cried immediately.

The patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.

The patient was in his usual state of good health until his airplane ran
out of gas and crashed.

The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a
stockbroker instead.
 
 

3. LAUGHING AWAY YOUR FEARS

We all intuitively know that humor helps us conquer fear, but now there’s scientific proof. A study done by psychology professor Larry Ventis at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, found that humor desensitization was just as effective in reducing fear of spiders as more traditional desensitization. For those of you who are wondering, desensitization is a kind of therapy that helps people overcome fears, usually by exposing them to the thing they’re afraid of in small, then larger doses.

Three groups of students with a fear of spiders were used for this study. The control group received no treatment, the second group received traditional desensitization, and the third got humor desensitization.

In the humor group, treatment consisted of things like being asked to list as many uses as they could think of for an eight inch rubber tarantula that squeaked when squeezed, to come up with nicknames for the tarantula, to do humorous sentence completion exercises like "I would rather_______ than ________ a spider," and to provide captions for cartoons involving spiders.

The study proved that when people joked about spiders their fear lessened. So when you joke about downsizing, re-engineering, budget cuts, etc. with coworkers, you’re not wasting time. You’re actually helping each other lessen the fear and anxiety surrounding these issues, and science has proven it. If you have a workplace that’s down on humor, please show them this article!

This also explains why we sometimes feel like we want to crack up when an authority figure gets mad at us. It’s an intuitive defense mechanism designed to reduce our fear. Obviously, the timing isn’t that great, so I guess our intuitive side wants to lessen fear, but isn’t too concerned about getting us into more trouble!

But the advantages of humorous desensitization are obvious. First we don’t need an expert to help us do it, because we’re all capable of grabbing the people around us and cracking jokes, making up Top Ten lists or whatever. Second, its way more fun than desensitization therapy, third, it doesn’t have to take a long time, and fourth, it’s free!
 

If you would like to print one of my articles on humor in the workplace in your newsletter free of charge, email me at david@psychocomic.com and Iíll send you a complete summary of all the articles Iíve written.

For other free articles about laughter go to www.psychocomic.com/Articles.htm

For free back issues of this ezine go to www.psychocomic.com/Newsletter.htm

*****GET MORE LAUGHTER IN YOUR LIFE!*****
Check out David's tapes, posters, buttons at www.psychocomic.com/Products.htm
 

4. WHAT'S GOOD STORIES

It's so easy to see all the bad things around us, that sometimes we forget about all the great things that go on. And we need to hear about good things because that gives us hope and inspires us to go out and do more good things.

In this section, I want to hear from you. What's happened in your life that's good? What things have people done that inspire you to be kind to others? What funny things have happened?

Email your short stories to me at david@psychocomic.com, and if I publish yours, you get a free copy of my tape "I'm OK But YOU Need Professional Help!"

Terri Knox from Winnipeg, Manitoba contributed this month’s story. Her company, Service Enhanced Training helps organizations empower their people and enhance customer service. Check her out at http://www.terriknox.com

I was in Costco paying for my purchase, and there was a gentlemen there trying to get the cashier's attention. Minutes before he had been to the same till which had been staffed by another cashier. She had just left so he told the new cashier his dilemma. His bill was over $300 and he paid by Interac and cash, but as he left he noticed that he was still holding the $100 bill that he thought he had given to the cashier. The new cashier checked the till and confirmed that there was not a $100 bill in the register, so she took it from him and took his name.

I looked at this incredible gentleman and said how honored I was to witness this honest act, and that he should be very proud of himself. He looked back at me and said "Not really, it's just the right thing to do and it’s nothing unusual."

I was so impressed and said so to the cashier. She said that more and more people were displaying this kind of honesty. As painful as September 11th was, we need to pull the good out, and I am proud to say that this man inspired me. I’d like to thank him for playing a role in my life experiences.
 

5. AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP

ARTISTS WITHOUT BORDERS brings psychological relief to the victims of war in the form of art and/or entertainment. They send performers and artists to refugee camps and zones of conflict. Theyíve been to Kosovo, East Timor, Chechnya and more. If youíd like more information, or to help out, (Theyíre a non-profit organization and could use donations) go to their web site http://www.artwit.org .

If anyone has a good cause they'd like to promote please email me at david@psychocomic.com
 

6. CLASSIFIED ADS

Speakers: Learn how to incorporate stand-up comedy into your presentations. Check out David's stand-up comedy skills coaching for presenters at: www.psychocomic.com/ComedyCourse.htm
 

7. CONTACT INFORMATION

David Granirer gives laughter in the workplace presentations helping hundreds of organizations throughout North America reduce stress, increase wellness, and cope with change. For more information on his presentations, stand-up comedy, products, and articles call (604) 205-9242 or go to www.psychocomic.com

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