I had an idea just now.
Before I tell you about the idea I'll preface it with a truth about me that's been bugging me for a few years. I've had writers block and I haven't done a whole lot to unblock the block. I want to write more and my gut tells me I should. I've always loved writing. I've written in journals most of my life and when I feel inspired to write and when I let others read it, I'm told the material is interesting. Granted, my mom is often my biggest (and sometimes only) fan but she is a former editor and can be pretty critical so I take her compliments seriously.
I enjoy writing and yet I do it so rarely as an adult. I am not sure why. I've had a few different blogs and I can count on both hands how many articles I've written. Not many.
I don't have to write. Maybe I should toss the idea of writing completely. I mean, I am a massage therapist. Why do I need to write?
I don't know, but I want to. So, today I came up with an idea of how I can knock the writers block. If you've read my other articles you may have gathered that I am a Dove dark chocolate eater, melter, banana dipper and inspiring message reader. I'm thinking about starting a blog "series" titled, "Dove Dark Chocolate Messages"...My idea is to sit down oncer per week with a Dove dark chocolate wrapper and write a new article based off the message inside.
The most recent wrapper message I read today reads, "Be with people who make you laugh" so I'll start with this one and see how it goes...
After visiting with a client one day at her home to provide a surprise half hour each of chair massage for her, her mom and sister who were visiting from out of state, I drove a few blocks down the street to spend time with my brother and his family who were a hop, jump and skip away. One of my nephews were hanging out with me next to my orange car. He stood leaning against my car with legs crossed and he said with the most serious facial expression, "Aunt Tiffy... I really think you need to paint your car pink. We have pink paint here, Aunt Tiffy. We can help paint it". I believe this conversation stemmed from a previous discussion months prior when I jokingly mentioned that I might paint the car pink. Apparently he's been reflecting on the conversation and decided it's definitely something we all need to do as a family. Perhaps pink is the new orange? Not sure, but this cracked me up.
Kids have a way of lighting up our days. They are usually laughing or making us adults laugh. I love hanging out with my nephews and niece for this reason. The adults in my family are equally goofy, I must say. My father has been cracking tearjerker jokes ever since I was a child and the other day when I asked what his top 5 favorite things in life are (a question inspired by Brendon Burchard), one of them, he told me is, "I love to laugh".
It's definitely a great idea to do so, especially with how stressful life can sometimes be these days. Apparently much like massage therapy, laughter is healing and has many of the same benefits. According to an article written by Mayo Clinic, some short term benefits of laughter are that laughing increases endorphins, relieves stress, stimulates circulation and relaxes muscles. Long term benefits of laughter, according to the same article, are an improved immune system, pain relief and improved self esteem. I'm literally laughing listing these because results are so similar to what happens after getting a massage! Pretty incredible that something so simple can be so life changing. If you don't have time to get a massage, find people who will make you laugh.
If you are curious to know what else Mayo Clinic says about why laughing is so good, check out this article
Hope you loved my article and hope to see you soon at your next massage appointment!!
