In this episode of Cloud9 Online’s MediMindful Moments Podcast, co-hosts Judith Dreyer, Jeff Nelder, and Henry Edinger interview Steve Wilson, Psychologist, the Founder and President of World Laughter Tour. Steve is also known as 'The Joyologist' and 'The Cheerman of the Bored'. He discusses what humor and laughter hold for human beings, and shares his program called The Prescription For Good Hearted Living.
Listen HERE!
Episode Highlights:
● Judith introduces Steve Wilson. (00:39)
● Steve mentions that he’s a formally trained psychologist and he has retired from the private practice of psychotherapy. (1:24)
● Steve shares a story that happened 40 years ago when he attended a workshop in Chicago. (1:44)
● Steve mentions that he was called by the universe to change his life and his practice to focus on what humor and laughter hold for human beings. (2:27)
● Steve shares that it’s been 20 years since he established the World Laughter Tour. It’s a curriculum to teach people how to create therapeutic laughter and to switch those wrongheaded attitudes and ideas. (3:49)
● Steve shares that 7,000 people have taken his course. They want to learn and utilize those tools for the benefit of their own health and happiness and to share it with other people. (6:17)
● Steve shares the difference between laughter and humor is that laughter is a physical act that human beings do. On the contrary, humor acts as a shock absorber and keeps you from being jolted. (8:58)
● Steve mentions one of the aspects that he tried to get across to people is respect for individual differences. Human beings are different and it doesn't mean they are wrong or bad. (12:58)
● Steve mentions that once you have a moment to be mindful of your sense of humor, one of the prescriptions that he will issue is to take five minutes a day for humor. (13:26)
● Steve shares that his program is called The Prescription For Good Hearted Living, and it consists of 6 practices that you can do to prevent the hardening of attitudes. (18:25)
● Steve mentions that the Wednesdays for gratitude is the centerpiece of the program. (23:15)
● Steve explains that a great sense of humor is a crucial ability to identify the absurdity in adversity. (40:39)
● Steve shares the difference between laughing with somebody and laughing at somebody. (42:03)
● Steve explains that it’s significant that we must not lose hope. We should always hope that we can recover, hope that we can repair the world, and hope that we can repair ourselves. (45:40)
Key Quotes:
● “Your sense of humor is something you develop, but the ability to laugh is inborn. Did you know that people who are born blind and deaf, laugh? We don't learn to laugh by watching other people or hearing other people, we have a natural way when the circumstances are right.” - Steve Wilson
● “As soon as you get into that humor and that laugh, and respond to it instantly, your brain chemistry changes and sends a signal that every system in your body to turn on to health, and it does it almost instantly. It will keep the healthy aspects of your muscular system to act healthy when you have a true mirthful laugh.” - Steve Wilson
● “Use this poem as you go through life. Let this always be your goal. Keep your eye upon the doughnut, not upon the hole. Look at what you have not what's not there. Gratitude turns out to be the antidote for self-pity and despair. How can you have that so strongly, if you're grateful for things that you have in your life and what is going on?” - Steve Wilson
● “The modern science of laughter is about compassion. That when we have because, to have a great sense of humor, I think one must have a great sensitivity about humor.” - Steve Wilson
Resources Mentioned:
Want to learn more about Steve Wilson’s book, Good-Hearted Living? You can find a summary of the book, including six daily practices you can follow to add more laughter to your life, HERE.
