Ray's Daily

Ray’s Daily

April 19, 2019

https://rays-daily.com/

“He who laughs, lasts.”

Mary Pettibone Poole

I have been writing Ray’s Daily for almost twenty years and I have included some humor in each addition. From the very beginning I wanted to start our day as upbeat as I could and felt that a little levity was the way to do that.

The following article not only reminded me of the value of humor in our lives but also the influence Norman Cousins had on mine. So my friends, keep smiling, I know you’ll fell better if you do.

The Healing Power of Humor

By Maud Purcell, LCSW, CEAP

The Ojibway tribe recognized it. The Old Testament even references the healing properties of humor: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Although our ancestors couldn’t explain it scientifically, they knew intuitively that laughter was good for the body as well as the soul.

More recently Norman Cousins, in his book “Anatomy of an Illness,” describes how he cured himself of a debilitating disease through the use of humor. He reportedly watched old Marx Brothers movies and laughed uncontrollably. He believes his own laughter cured his disease. He subsequently lived a long and healthy life — well into his 80s!

Today we have a better understanding of how laughter affects human physiology. It:

• Reduces pain. Our bodies produce pain-killing hormones called endorphins in response to laughter.
• Strengthens immune function. A good belly laugh increases production of T-cells, interferon and immune proteins called globulins.
• Decreases stress. When under stress, we produce a hormone called cortisol. Laughter significantly lowers cortisol levels and returns the body to a more relaxed state.

The other good news is that humor has a positive impact on intellectual and emotional functioning. It:

• Helps put life’s trials and tribulations into healthy perspective by making them seem smaller.
• Aids us in overcoming fear.
• Allows us to take ourselves less seriously.
• Triggers our creativity.

As you can see, humor can be the curative our ancestors professed it to be.

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“Laugh as much as possible, always laugh. It’s the sweetest thing one can do for oneself & one’s fellow human beings.”

Maya Angelou

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There was a barber that thought that he should share his faith with his customers more than he had been doing lately.

So the next morning when the sun came up and the barber got up out of bed he said, “Today I am going to witness to the first man that walks through my door.”

Soon after he opened his shop the first man came in and said, “I want a shave!”

The barber said, “Sure, just sit in the seat and I’ll be with you in a moment.”

The barber went in the back and prayed a quick desperate prayer saying, “God, the first customer came in and I’m going to witness to him. So please give me the wisdom to know just the right thing to say to him. Amen.”

Then quickly the barber came out with his razor knife in one hand and a Bible in the other while saying, “Good morning sir. I have a question for you……….Are you ready to die?”

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You’re getting old when you wake up with that morning-after feeling, and you didn’t do anything the night before.

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Rita wanted her husband to stop smoking so she sent him to the doctor.

The doctor gave him a box of these patches and said to use one a day. He said ok, and took them home.

Rita asked him what the doctor said and he showed her the patches and told her that the doctor said to use one a patch day. Rita commenced to sew one patch on each shirt he had.

The both of them are still trying to figure out how that’s going to help him quit smoking.

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To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.

~~~

Customer to Accountant: I’ve been working on my budget like you told me to. Line one is my fixed expenses. Line two is my fixed income. And… the difference is the fix I’m in.

~~~

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

Will Rogers

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Investment Definitions

STOCK: A magical piece of paper that is worth $33.75 until the moment you buy it. It will then be worth $8.50.

BOND: What you had with your spouse until you pawned his/her golf clubs to invest in Amazon.com.

BROKER: The person you trust to help you make major financial decisions. Please note the first five letters of this word spell “Broke”.

BEAR: What your trade account and wallet will be when you take a flyer on that hot stock tip your secretary gave you.

BULL: What your broker uses to explain why your mutual funds tanked during the last quarter.

MARGIN: Where you scribble the latest quotes when you’re supposed to be listening to your manager’s presentation.

SHORT POSITION: A type of trade where, in theory, a person sells stocks he doesn’t actually own. Since this also only ever works in theory, a short position is what a person usually ends up being in (i.e. “The rent, sir?” “Hahaha, well, I’m a little short this month.”).

COMMISSION: The only reliable way to make money on the stock market, which is why your broker charges you one.

YAK: What you do into a pail when you discover your stocks have plunged and your broker is making a margin call.

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“A sense of humor… is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.”

Hugh Sidey

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.