It doesn’t matter what type of laugh you have. God made you with that laugh in your DNA.
Don’t be ashamed of it. Let it out in all it’s glory.
You may have a lot on your plate today. You may be hurting. You may be devastated. You may be bored. You may be stressed.
Wherever you are, take 5 minutes to just laugh a little bit. Find the funniest video you can on Youtube. Put on your favorite episode of Parks and Recreation. Find a classic comedy on Netflix or at a Redbox. Let the healing power of laughter cover over your hurt.
Try something the world says you shouldn’t be able to do.
Swim outside of your boundaries.
Have fun beyond your species.
Do something wild just to make your heart smile. You never know who might be watching. You never know who you’ll inspire just with your sense of adventure.
For the bulk of the past 16 months, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have been on the road supporting their latest album “Wrecking Ball”.
Bruce Springsteen has never been the type of artist to stick to one setlist throughout a tour. Every night is a different experience.
But you wouldn’t fault him and the band for taking things easy in their 16th month on the road. Most in the band are in their 50s and 60s. A year and half on the road takes a toll on even a young man. Plus they’re hitting up fans in Europe who might not know the difference if the band played the same setlist the night before in a different country.
That’s just not what Bruce Springsteen does. In fact the setlists and videos from this leg of the tour show Bruce and the Band are digging deeper into their catalog than ever, adding in songs to these shows like “Lucky Town” that haven’t been played in years.
Why bother changing up the setlist? Why bust these songs out of storage? Bruce could get by like so many other nostalgia acts and play the same 25 songs each night. He doesn’t have to make each performance into a 3 hour plus epic pulling requests from his expansive catalog at random from fan signs in the crowd. What does he have to prove?
Nothing, of course. But who wants to be stuck singing the same song every night for a year and a half? You’ll drive yourself crazy. To keep living and not just existing, you have to expand the setlist time and time again.
It’s Friday. Time to expand your setlist. Try something totally different today. Go to that restaurant you’ve been wanting to try. Skip work after lunch. Go to a trampoline park and jump around. Play a song you’d rarely hear and make this day a memorable one.
Sometimes when I hear the alarm clanging on my iPhone I dread the idea of getting out of bed. But I can’t keep hitting the snooze button.
There’s a dog in my face who needs to be walked. He doesn’t care how late I stayed up or how hard I’ve been working lately. He expects me to take him outside as soon as the alarm goes off whether I like it or not.
Turns out walks with Roc are exactly what I need to kickstart my morning.
Those 10 minutes walking outside with no distractions give me a perfect chance to pray. Morning walks with Roc are a daily quiet time to take account of what’s in store fore the day. They’re also a time to give thanks to God for His many blessings.
You may not have the luxury of a morning walk time to get your heart in tune with God. No worries. Here’s another way you can get the same benefits:
Try this exercise today when you feel overwhelmed. Stop whatever you’re doing and put a timer on your phone for 60 seconds. Get out a pen and a piece of paper. Start the timer and begin writing down as many things you’re thankful for as you can in that minute.
You’ll be amazed at how quickly your perspective can shift. 60 seconds of gratitude can turn your day around. Taking register of all you have to be thankful for can be the boost you need to get over the hump of frustration.
Try it out. Take a minute. It’s not an exercise I do everyday, but it’s one I go back to whenever I lose perspective on how lucky I am.
No matter where you are in life I bet you can fill up 60 seconds with gratitude. I also bet doing so will change your entire day.
Homer Simpson. Always a model for fatherhood. Why, just in this clip above, he shows us 3 of the most important characteristics of a great father.
A father always makes time to give advice to his child. A father is always ready to teach his child. A father is willing to endure extreme pain for his child.
Ok, so he’s not always perfect. But he does what he can with what he has.
As long as you’re doing your best with your kids and not giving up, you should be commended. If you’re at least as good a dad as Homer Simpson then you have reason to celebrate this Father’s Day.
Relax and rejoice. The children of the world appreciate you. No one knows exactly how to do what you’re doing. But we’re glad you’re trying.
It’s Friday. The weight of work is overwhelming. You haven’t had a real weekend in months. You have a better relationship with the stapler on your desk than you do your best friend.
It’s time to rethink your priorities. Maybe you should prioritize like Leslie Knope.
Leslie Knope seems like she works 25 hours a day, 8 days a week to keep Pawnee running. But even a hyperactive workhorse like Leslie keeps her priorities straight.
Your work should not define you. Your job should not own your spirit. Take a minute to recognize what’s important today. Put work last for a day. Call a friend. Have a waffle.
When was the last time you made a 2 AM Waffle House run? Or the last time you skipped work to go see a movie? Do something today to make you smile. Your soul needs it. Recharge your happy meter. Ignore the calorie count. Enjoy this day as the unique individual gift it is.
Hey brother. It’s Friday. The Final Countdown to the new season of Arrested Development is less than 48 hours. The sun is shining. You’re awake and breathing. No reason to be a blue man.
You have too much good going on to get mad over the little things. Don’t let a careless older brother bring you down with his illusions. Have a sense of wonder today (did someone say wonder?).
What did you think of “The Office” series finale last night? Was it everything you ever hoped for, or did it make you want to toss the series aside like a worthless piece of paper?
Whatever your thoughts, let’s celebrate what “The Office” gave us over the past 8 years. Let’s follow their lead in these blooper reels and laugh off all the mistakes and shortcomings. Let’s remember the good times and rejoice in this new day with an hour’s worth of giggles: Continue reading →
POP GOD 
