In situations like these (which happen more often than I’d care to admit), I’m typically faced with a split-second decision to either tend to a wounded ego or to treat myself to a healthy dose of laughter to cure what ails me and set the stage for new insights. I do my best to choose the latter and usually find all sorts of reasons to be grateful for countless memorable, highly entertaining and usually productive life lessons.

The power of laughter

The softball saga became one of my readers’ favorite stories in my first book, “Living With Intention,” where it helped me illustrate two important concepts: We’re all gifted in different ways, and we can recover from even the most mortifying moments when we pair good humor with a great attitude. I guess it also helped me illustrate that some people, including yours truly, really should be banned from the softball field.

What I’ve learned through my work as an author, professional speaker and business owner is that laughter readily fosters learning and leadership, creativity and connection. Something inspired happens when we laugh at ourselves and with others in respectful ways about the comedy of being human. It helps us let down our guards and lift our spirits. It validates the fact that success isn’t about perfection; it’s about the dynamic interplay between possibilities and progress. Laughter is, in my book, a sign of resilience, and I’m a firm believer that the ability to bounce back is one of the most critical factors for creating a wildly fulfilling and remarkably successful life.

Every great leader I’ve studied, every successful entrepreneur I’ve coached and every truly happy person I’ve known has relied on a simple power tool to hone both their success and their satisfaction: a great sense of humor. They don’t dismiss the importance of challenges or the consequences of setbacks, but they put those things in to perspective using laughter to bring people together rather than tear them apart, to reduce stress rather than increase it and to inspire ingenuity rather than stifle it.

That’s the kind of company I want to keep—mentors who see that there are serious benefits to the practice of occasionally being not so serious. So, when the next softball snafu—or some equally absurd event—happens, I’ll be ready with a hearty laugh and a hefty serving of insight. And that’s what works for me.

Short-Biography

Deanna Davis, owner of Applied Insight LLC, is a professional speaker and coach focusing on creating success and satisfaction with a sense of humor. She is the author of two books: “Living With Intention” and “The Law of Attraction in Action.” Visit her online at www.deannadavis.net.

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