World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year to spread happiness in the whole world. This year World Laughter Day will be observed on May 1, 2022. Every year more than 70 countries around the world celebrate World Laughter Day on the first Sunday of May.
Benefits of laughter
Laughter is good for your health. In fact, it is really one of the best medicines in the world. It strengthens your immune system, boosts your mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress.
Studies have shown that a person who laughs a lot lives longer and has a healthier and happier life. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
History of World Laughter Day World Laughter Day was first celebrated on May 10, 1998, in Mumbai, India. The day was arranged by Dr Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement.
Dr Kataria is a family doctor in India who was inspired to start the Laughter Yoga movement in part by the facial feedback hypothesis, which postulates that a person’s facial expressions can have an effect on their emotions.
The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive manifestation of world peace and is intended to build up a global consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter.
My favorite quotes about laughter
I have not seen anyone dying of laughter, but I know millions who are dying because they are not laughing.” -Madan Kataria
“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.” -Mark Twain
“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Charlie Chaplin
Activity
Laugh And Win
Send us a 30 secs video of your unique laughter and win a prize.
(All entries shall be opened for voting by our Facebook and Instagram followers for the most endearing and funny laughter.)
Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it.” -Lucy Maud
When we focus too much on ourselves, we worsen our predicaments , and may sink deeper into despair. As humans, we all struggle with self-centeredness and selfishness. We tend to be selfish because all we can see is our own pains and pleasures, and most often we do not notice the pains of others.
We further sink into discontentment when our hearts are only concerned with our own pleasures. Whereas, we enjoy happiness and fulfillment when we notice and meet the needs of those who are desperate for help. One major source of happiness is taking our eyes off ourselves and our own desires, and focus on meeting the needs of others – the oppressed, the hungry, the homeless, the afflicted, the sick and helpless.
The submission of Danny Thomas is instructive: “Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplished for yourself. It’s what you do for others.” Still thinking about how to help? Look deeply within yourself and you will be amazed that there’s something you truly care about and would be your greatest pleasure if you get involved.
Some YWAW Volunteers at Old People’s Home in Lagos
40% of our happiness is determined by intentional activities, behaviour and practices that we voluntarily pursue, such as helping others, adopting positive attitude, exercise or striving for goals. Helping others is the secret sauce to happiness.
There are a number of voluntary causes that you can engage in that would put you on a platform to be of help to others in your little way. You can get involved in helping sex trafficking victims, the elderly who have no one to care for them, little kids who need help learning to read – there’s always something you can do.
You can also volunteer for a non-governmental organization who carry out humanitarian, social services or advocacy and join to serve the needs of others, The Yes, We Are Winning Foundation (YWAW) is an example of a charity and human capital development NGO that focuses on helping people especially in the area of education and empowerment.
We provide a platform for those who have passion to impact the world positively and be life savers while they also inculcate a winning lifestyles. You can volunteer with us today through this link. https://yeswearewinning.com/become-a-volunteer/
When you have made a choice of a service to render, then, commit to serve once or twice, and see how you feel. If you liked it, get involved in their their causes and give your service to humanity. “Non Sibi Sed Alis”; “Not for us but for others” Your becoming a well watered garden often comes because you feel good helping another human being. God has a way of rewarding your selfless sacrifice with healing and satisfaction that will surpass your expectations.
Every year on March 20, the United Nations celebrates the International Day of Happiness. With our planet experiencing unprecedented challenges, it is more important than ever to be happy.
The purpose of the International Day of Happiness is to raise awareness on the value of happiness in one’s life and the overall impact it can have on a person’s well-being.
Indeed, the alarming global crises, pandemic, political tensions, economic hardships and are enough to keep us in a state of melancholy. The economy and people’s livelihoods have been severely harmed. This means that in many regions, happiness is at an all-time low. However, it will do us a huge benefit if we cultivate and commit to being happy.
“Build Back Happier” is the theme for 2022, and is aimed at achieving global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Families and friends have been unable to be together for long periods of time due to lockdowns and pandemic-related norms.
Where do happiness come from?
Happiness can come from the good things of life, as well as pleasurable activities such as philanthropic works. However, the happiness that pleasurable activities gives is ephemeral, whereas the pleasure that philanthropic activities gives lasts longer because it gives intrinsic motivation, which is a motivation that its driven by internal rewards, and which gives a sense of satisfaction or accomplishment.
Facts about happiness
50% of your happiness is genetically determined
40% of your happiness is determined by intentional activities, behaviour and practices that we voluntarily pursue, such as helping others, adopting positive attitude, exercise or striving for goals.
10% of your happiness is determined by life’s circumstances, for example material wealth, marriage, employment status, income and possessions to mention a few
Benefits of being happy
Happy people are less likely to fall sick or suffer debilitating diseases.
Happy people have better social relationships
Happy people live longer
Happy people are better organisational citizens
How to cultivate happiness
Be intentional; treat happiness like your routine exercise
Commit to happiness
Work on being happy
In this life, there will always be trouble. When you worry you make your trouble double.
Life is good but things do fall apart! Life still offers beauty in all its ramifications, even though it sometimes presents ugly and seemingly impossible situations.
Life is a good teacher, but sometimes teaches the hard way. Trust me, it can be really rough and tough. Life is a good friend but sometimes it can be unfair and annoying. Oftentimes, things just never go the way the way you want it. Sometimes it is OK, other times, it is unbearable.
In life, things are in transit: today, you are here; the next moment you are there. In a moment, the rich becomes poor, and by a stroke of luck, the unfortunate becomes a celebrity.
Life is dual in nature: it offers one side to me, and another side to you, and many times, not the way we plan it. In one location it is cold, in another place it is warm. It is bright here, and dark there.
Nothing ever sums up in the way we like it to be. Things fall apart when the apparent center cannot hold. In life, the center doesn’t always hold, so things would always not be as expected.
Life has in its path to success, many hurdles to cross. Sometime, it can be quite easy, at other times, it would seem impossible and hopeless. Yet, life offers goodness and contentment if you have a sure connection to the true center of life, God.
Things do fall apart when the apparent center cannot hold them. The center that holds the things that gives happiness is in itself feeble. When the things that makes us happy is lost, life becomes unfriendly.
Here’s the sure thing: “GOD holds the high center, He sees and sets the world’s mess right. He decides what is right for us earthlings…GOD’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked.”-Ps. 9:7-10
Life offers abundant joy, but this joy is beyond human comprehension. It is supernatural. It is divinely inspired and endowed. Life is beautiful when peace floods your soul from the river of life.
When things fall apart, don’t lose your heart. It just means they are about to be put back together in a new and better way. When everything seems like it is falling apart, that is when God is putting things together just the way HE wants it.
So, keep calm; don’t be afraid, God is at work to put your center together again. When things fall apart, don’t fall! Be strong!
Life has in its path to success, many hurdles to cross. Sometime, it can be quite easy, at other times, it would seem impossible and hopeless. Yet, life offers goodness and contentment if you have a sure connection to the true center of life, God.