To join David Granirer's FREE Ezine mailing list, please go to: www.psychocomic.com/subscribe.htm

Thank you.

GET MORE LAUGHTER IN YOUR LIFE!
David Granirer - North America's Psychotherapist/Stand-Up Comic
Volume 3, Issue 6
Editor: David Granirer, david@psychocomic.com
Publisher: David Granirer
www.psychocomic.com

Please help us grow by forwarding this e-zine on to others!

IN THIS ISSUE
1. Welcome from the Publisher
2. Joke
3. Workplace Humor Indicators
4. What’s Good Stories
5. An Opportunity To Help
6. Classified Ads
7. Contact Information


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


1. WELCOME FROM THE PUBLISHER

****We’re Back!****

My comedy nights start again on Friday January 11 at Flori’s Coffee Centre, 3851 E. Hastings in North Burnaby, 2 blocks east of Boundary. To reserve (604) 294-8505.

On Friday January 18, CBC TV is coming to do a piece on that night’s headliner, and one of my star comedy students, 69 year old Mavis Pickett. It’s a great story of how taking a risk (In her case taking my stand-up comedy course) and confronting her fears changed her life. Mavis took the course twice and is now a professional comic. One day she’ll probably be a star, and the great thing is she has no investment in it! So come on out and laugh with her!


****Comedy Course****

If you’ve ever had a dream to do comedy, my 8-week Stand-Up Comedy Clinic Course at Langara College starts on the evenings of February 5 and 6. (I’m running 2 sections this term, a Tues. and Wed. class). To register call Langara at (604) 323-5322. To see testimonials from people who have taken the course go to http://www.psychocomic.com/ComedyCourse.htm

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

Here’s some more real life comedy that writes itself:

St. Peters, Missouri – A gunman robbed a 7-11store but returned minutes later because his car wouldn’t start. Amazingly, the clerks came out to the parking lot and gave the robber a jump-start. Police Officer David Kuppler commented “We’re a very friendly town out there.


3. WORKPLACE HUMOR INDICATORS

So what specific indicators that tell us we need to incorporate humor into our workplace? According to Thomas Kuhlman, a psychologist at the University of St. Thomas, in Minnesota, two major factors exist.

The first is being placed in no-win situations. These include being expected to do a job but not having the necessary resources in terms of time, money, policies or people power. It can also include having to serve a difficult or overly demanding client base or boss, or having to enforce unpopular rules or regulations.

The second is the presence of unpredictable or uncontrollable stressors. These can take the form of regularly arising but unpredictable situations that adversely affect stress, workloads, or scheduling. They can also include decisions made at other levels of the organization or government that affect your job but into which you have little or no input.

Sound familiar? In order to illustrate this scenario, Kuhlman uses the example of the TV series “MASH.” Here we have medical personnel caught in a classic no-win situation. Their job is to heal wounded soldiers, who when healed, go back to the front lines to be wounded again. The stressors are also uncontrollable and unpredictable in that the protagonists never know when or how many casualties will arrive. Furthermore, decisions about the war in which they have no say affect their jobs and lives.

In situations where we have little or no control over our external circumstances, our only control lies in how we react to them. We can either choose to laugh or despair, and in “MASH,” Alan Alda’s character leads us to laugh.

In some ways, laughter is the only rational response to no-win situations, since in order to survive them, we need to find a life-affirming way to cope. Being able to laugh about our situation and ourselves helps us to release the tension, regain our perspective, and accept that which we cannot change. Not only that, but, it also gives us the physical energy and resilience needed to survive.

As more and more groups realize the benefits of laughter, they incorporate it into their wellness programs and day-to-day work. Most workplaces have a great, often untapped resource in the form some very funny and resourceful employees. They just need to be given permission and encouragement to use their sense of humor on the job.


****Free Articles for Your Newsletter****

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!"  
 

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

Special thanks to www.e-zinez.com

If you would like to join David Granirer's FREE Ezine mailing list, please go to: www.psychocomic.com/subscribe.htm

If you would like to be removed from the mailing list then please send
mailto:david@psychocomic.com with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the message.

Thank you.