The Power of Laughter

Gathering Gold

Laughter is powerful. It can be a sign of deep comfort and intimacy, or a weapon used to reject and humiliate. Some of us grew up in homes where jokes were plentiful but tears weren’t allowed; others may have felt that silliness or goofiness was frowned upon. For some, relationship anxiety attaches itself to questions like What if my partner isn’t funny enough? Or, Is my partner too silly?

In today's episode, we’re talking about the importance of keeping a sense of humor when doing inner work, while also meeting our pain around unkind joking, teasing or sarcasm. Sheryl shares her own insecurities around humor, and addresses how family history and projection can play into humor-related relationship anxiety.

Stay tuned to the *very* end of the episode to hear a blooper and some belly laughs from your hosts!

References:

• Sheryl’s blog post: "How to Decode the Intrusive Thought: 'You’re Too Silly'”
• Pema Chodron
• Tara Brach
• James Martin and his book, Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life
• Article about the Dalai Lama: "Playful humor: the Dalai Lama's secret weapon"
• Glennon Doyle
• Brene Brown
• Norman Cousins