Look for examples of good/clean/spiritual humor to replace the inappropriate stories and jokes you eliminate. Good humor is all around you. Sometimes you hear it, see it, or create it. Humor makes you laugh and you make others laugh! (A good deal for all!)

It is clear that you are usually on the side of good humor—or you would not be reading this blog. But what is your perspective on bad humor? Do you encourage it? Tolerate it? Participate in it? Pass it on? Bad humor is in popular usage and it is hard to escape, but there are some healthy responses you can make so you can pray the prayer: “Show me how to share the gift of humor so others may laugh like you intended. Amen”

Appropriate Humor versus Inappropriate Humor! Some of the following conditions may apply to you. Determine which you are willing to accept as working hypotheses.

1. You will receive the Gift of Humor when you prepare for it, claim it, value it, and use it!
2. If your spirit is not laughing, it is likely because persons or circumstances have dumped negative debris upon your efforts to be humorous—clogging you with ridicule and hurt.
3. Instead of allowing those influences to control you, choose now to become a humorous person—and have the fun of working at it as “your way of life.”
4. Figure out what you will do about inappropriate humor (if you have any).

You may wish to spend time reflecting upon these four propositions to see if there is anything here for you.

The bottom line: It is inappropriate to laugh at humor that is inappropriate: humor that offends you or someone else!

What are Appropriate Responses to Inappropriate Humor? (“. . . so my spirit can laugh with your Spirit.”) When you are in the presence of someone using inappropriate humor (whether sexist, profane, hurtful to a race or to a group, smutty, embarrassing, or what may generally be called insensitive humor) what do you do? Each person must decide. Make selections from the options below that you feel will be appropriate responses for you.
You may laugh, encouraging the person to continue.

You may choose to be next and use appropriate humor. (The contrast will be evident.)

If inappropriateness continues, put your hands up in front of you, about shoulder high, and say, “This is not for me,” and walk away.

If it is a friend, say, “How about coming to our Sunday school class and telling that joke next Sunday?” (You would make your point.)

If it is an offensive joke, don’t laugh.

If you feel strongly about it say, “Tell me the funny part of that joke.”

Situations and Responses: What is your perspective on bad humor? This kind of humor is in wide-spread usage and it is hard to escape. How do you handle it? Do you encourage it? Participate in it?

Pass it on? Abhor it! Begin getting prepared with healthy responses you can make. Write YOUR healthy responses to these situations in which bad humor is featured:

Situation: You are in the presence of someone noted for using bad humor.

Response: _____________________________________________________________

Situation: You recall a favorite joke that is in bad taste.

Response: _____________________________________________________________

Situation: You hear a funny joke that ridicules a person or a group.

Response: _____________________________________________________________

Situation: You’re in a group that frequently uses bad humor.

Response: ____________________________________________________________

Situation: You begin to realize that some of your jokes are crude, vindictive, or cutting.

Response: _____________________________________________________________

Situation: You’re present where humor has to be shielded from some members.

Response: _____________________________________________________________

Situation: You’re present where secret humor excludes you or someone in the group.

Response: _____________________________________________________________

Review your responses. Reflect on what your perspective on appropriate and inappropriate humor reveals about you. Discuss with your colleagues why inappropriate humor IS a character issue! As as a total group, are there one or two steps you and your colleagues wish to take?

Some Do’s, and how to enjoy them!

Do set your goal to be a fun-person—and get yourself prepared!
Do keep your eyes and ears open for funny stuff—it is happening all around.
Do select a story or joke and stand in front of a mirror to practice it.
Do make a list of three or four jokes or stories you are prepared to tell.
Do learn from others as they share their humor.
Do sense the joy of helping people around you to laugh.
Do feel free to tell your own “stories” that you experience or “make up.”
Do look for ways and means to interject humor into situations.
Do use humor that is short, clean, and funny!
Do always try to target yourself in your humor.
Do laugh at yourself and you will be in good company.

If you can pick yourself out in the practice of some of the “Don’ts,” pay attention to the Corrections for each one you identify.
Study the “Do’s” and DO THEM!

Monday, May 16
Don’t tell a story or joke only once!
Correction: You will be better at telling it the fourth time, or the eight, than the first time.

Don’t begin by saying, “You’ve probably already heard this one.”
Correction: Get prepared to tell it well—and assume that your version will be the best they have heard.

Don’t say, “I have a funny joke to tell you.” (“Funny” is a big promise that you may not be able to deliver.)
Correction: Say, “I have a story for you!” (Everyone loves a story. They can often find themselves in the story and will enjoy “walking around in it.”)

Don’t make another person the brunt of a joke or funny story.
Correction: If you wouldn’t want to be made fun of, don’t tell the joke or story that makes fun of another. It is neither healthy, nor funny, to put down another person.

Bingo!

A New Day for Humor begins right now—right here!
Observation: Humor is a “hit-and-miss” endeavor.
(One hit will cause you to forget lots of miss’es.)
Think about someone who might need to have their spirits lifted today and go share a funny story or funny joke with him/her.

A friend of mine recently called and said she needs help with spontaneous humor-on-the-Go-Go-Go!
So, lets get started…

Here are Some Don’ts, and how to correct them! Later I will post Some Do’s and how to enjoy them.

Don’t go through the rest of your life ignoring the gift of humor.
Correction: Pay attention to the funny things you see and hear, and be eager to share them with others.

Don’t begin to tell your joke or story by saying, “I’m not very good at telling jokes.”
Correction: Practice speaking it before a mirror until you are good at it.

Don’t make fun of gender, ethnic origin, race, or religion to try to get a laugh.
Correction: Remember that “making fun” can go both ways—and you wouldn’t want that to happen to you.

Don’t begin by saying, “I love jokes, but I can never remember them.”
Correction: Select a short joke or story. Note the word-pictures or images that are used to tell it. Describe the images and nail the punch-line and you will have a Bingo!

If you can see yourself in the practice of any of the Don’ts, pay attention to the corrections for each. We will be sharing some additional don’ts in the days ahead.  BUT, keep watching for the DO’ES  as they are coming too.  These are fundamentals that will quickly make a significant difference in your use of humor.

Rosalie and I had bought several potted plants and our attendant was loading them into the trunk of our car. I counted the pots and realized I would have lots of holes to dig.
Just for fun I asked, “Do you have pre-dug holes?” He said, “Sir, I work on the outside. You’ll have to check with someone on the inside about that.” (Now there is a guy you really want on your payroll)
Full pay for any kind of humor is a hearty laugh! Everyone who has heard this little story has received full pay.

There is no Dictionary Definition of “Sense of Humor”
But we can begin with the meaning of sense, which is “power of the mind to know what happens outside of itself.” We connect humor and sense and they become “a power of the mind to look for and find appropriate humor that helps us to remain on the outside of grinding situations that could consume us.”
DEM, Spirits Laughing, p. 125.

Your Personal Humor Creed
Your Humor Creed is a guide for development of your sense of humor. Create your personal Humor Creed by highlighting only the following phrases that say it for you.

I am a humorous person. I can become a humorous person. I want to be a humorous person. I am willing to work at it.

Humor is a gift of personality. Humor is a gift of grace. Humor can be learned. Humor is outside of me. Humor is inside of me. Humor is basically output. Humor is basically outlook.

Laughter is a healing therapy. Laughter is a silly and noisy interruption. Laughter is a life-sweetener. Some people laugh easily. Laughter is hard for me. I look for humor and laughter. I try to make others laugh.

Humor can be found in only a few situations. Humor can be found in almost all situations. When I don’t find humor, I am free to make it.
DEM, Spirits Laughing, p.133.

Your Humor Creed may be up-dated from time to time so it continues to guide you.
“Is there something you need to remember—and not forget?”
“Absolutely!”
Humor is a spiritual gift!

We all remember what happened on the Seventh Day!
Part 1:  On the eighth day, God created humor to keep us from getting so serious we will blow up what God created during the first six days.
Part 2:  On the eighth day, God also created spiritual humor so church people would laugh so much on Sunday, we wouldn’t get ground up while doing church work.

A Virtual Hot House:
You will need a Hot House to incubate and nourish Seeds of Humor.  A regular hot house is a place for planting various kinds of seed, watching young plants grow, tending to and protecting them, preparing to share them with others, and transferring them outside to fulfill a “life of their own.”

Your Virtual Hot House will serve similar purposes, except you will not be working with plants. You will be birthing, and nourishing, and propagating Seeds of humor. Some will be from other sources, and some will be originated by you. This House will also be noted for incubation, maturation and fruition.

A Virtual Hot House may look like a file space, a dedicated desk drawer, a computer, or a meditation room where you have time to write. It is where you will place ideas and concepts that are starting to grow in you; or stories you generate; or humorous stuff you clip from papers or magazines.

For convenience, place your Hot House on your desktop—you will be entering it often. Read More→

You are, or you can be, a humorous person—no doubt about it!”

Humor is a pressure release, a situation-softener, an antidote to hurt. More important, it can help impart spiritual revelation about the character of God and God’s loving-kindness toward us. It can provide a change of direction when needed, and ease a burden to lighten a load. It’s like a cushion between hard surfaces.

The “Golden Rule of Humor” is that your humor is not only in other people’s response, it is—first of all—within you. It doesn’t matter whether a person laughs, or doesn’t laugh, at your efforts at humor. Your “game” is for you to drop the seeds of humor, because you have a disposition toward humor. It will be fun for you, and for the person who connects with even your tiny effort at humor. Until someone does, you are consciously choosing to be a humorous person. (That’s a good thing!)
I invite you to continue to come back and check out my blog.

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