Get More Laughter In Your Life!
David Granirer - North America's Psychotherapist/Stand-Up Comic
Volume 1, Issue 3
Editor: David Granirer, granirer@pro.net
Publisher: David Granirer http://www.granirer.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. Welcome from the Publisher
2. How To Overcome Your Fear Of Taking The Humor Risk
3. What's Good Stories
4. How To Tell If You're In The Wrong Relationship
5. Classified Ads
6. Contact Information
PRIVACY STATEMENT: WE WILL NOT DISTRIBUTE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO ANYONE. PERIOD
1. WELCOME FROM THE PUBLISHER
Hi Folks,
Since it's Valentine's day this month, I've included some free advice on relationships in section four, which is entitled "How To Tell If You're In The Wrong Relationship."
*****Come Have A Laugh!*****
My stand-up comedy shows continue at Cafe Madeleine, 3763 West 10th Ave, Vancouver ‚ Clean intelligent comedy in a smoke-free environment, Fridays at 8:00 p.m.
Opening the shows are students from my Langara College Comedy Clinic Class.
Reservations recommended 224-5558. Bring in this blurb and buy 1 entree, get 2nd for 50% off.
2. HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF TAKING THE HUMOR RISK
by David Granirer
In last month's issue, I said we'd address the fear many people have of initiating humor and having no one laugh. What you're about to read is adapted from a longer article on my website called "Using Humor at Work: How to Minimize The Risk of Failure." If you want to read the whole thing, click on the url at the bottom of this section.
People believe that if they try to be funny and no one laughs, something terrible will happen. What this terrible thing is no one seems to know. Maybe they'll shrivel up and die. Or maybe an anvil will drop from the sky and squash them into the ground, like during one of Wile E. Coyote's botched attempts to catch the Road Runner. Or maybe the humiliation will be too great, shattering their ego and forcing them to quit their jobs rather than face coworkers ever, ever again.
Well folks, that fear is a myth. It's our mind's way of trying to protect us from taking a risk. In nine years of private practice as a counsellor, never once has a client said "I need to heal the trauma from when I told a joke in grade three and no one laughed. Now every time I see a straight face I have a panic attack."
The truth is, if you try and be funny and no one laughs, you'll be just fine. I'm living proof. As a comic, I've died in front of hundreds of people, and I'm still here to tell the story ‚ not that I'd care to repeat the experience too often!
One way to overcome this fear is to have a "What-to-do-if-you-try-and-be-funny-and-it-doesn't-work-plan." All comics have this, and they call it "recovery material."
Humor is comprised of tension and release. When you tell a joke, or do something to get a laugh, tension rises as people wait for the funny part, which then releases the tension by creating a laugh. But if the funny part fails, the tension remains. Recovery material is an alternate way of releasing the tension.
The basic principle is that you release the tension by acknowledging that the joke or gag didn't work. It was rumored that Johnny Carson used to put jokes that he knew wouldn't work into his monologue because he could get a bigger laugh by using his recovery material. Here are six recovery lines you can use when you tell your coworkers a joke or try a gag that fails:
1. "That was funny when I thought of it."
2. "Well that one really died. Fortunately my next gig is at a funeral."
3. "The only problem with that one is that it's not funny."
4. "Sorry folks, that one's just for me."
5. "That joke (or gag) was re-engineered to get a downsized laugh."
6. "That joke wasn't funny 'cause I outsourced the punchline to (your main competitor/senior management, etc)."
Lets face it, with humor, there's always a risk involved. But it's up to each of us to take that risk so we can make our work environment a better place to be. Hopefully by using some of the ideas in this article, you'll be ready to go to work tomorrow and crack 'em up!
For free articles about laughter go to http://www.granirer.com.
3. WHAT'S GOOD STORIES
It's so easy to see all the bad things around us, that sometimes we forget about all the great things that go on. And we need to hear about good things because that gives us hope and inspires us to go out and do more good things.
In this section, I want to hear from you. What's happened in your life that's good? What things have people done that inspire you to be kind to others? What funny things have happened?
Email your short stories to me at granirer@pro.net, and if I publish yours, you get a free copy of my tape "I'm OK But YOU Need Professional Help"!
This month's story is contributed by Gayle McDonald of Public Works and Government Services Canada.
I stopped in at my son's elementary school this morning and dragged my butt into the office to gather my fund raising stuff (morning just isn't my favourite time of day). While there I overheard the school counsellor talking about a teaching assistant that had just stopped in. This assistant has worked with a rather busy disabled student for the past couple of years. She ALWAYS wears a smile and obviously loves her job!
As I was pondering that it was "Only Thursday" he said how much he admired her and that she reminds him that "Positive attitude (more specifically smiling) is like compound interest, it just keeps building and growing and building and growing and building and growing..................!"
I've been remembering that and smiling ever since. And....... I will continue to remember it and smile throughout tomorrow as well!!
4. HOW TO TELL IF YOU'RE IN THE WRONG RELATIONSHIP
by David Granirer
When people find out I'm a counsellor, they often ask me for advice about their relationships. And since this painful topic badly needs humor here are The Top 5 Signs You're In The Wrong Relationship:
5. You invite fiance to meet parents, and he brings a date.
4. Partner says "This is how I show affection" when caught violating his restraining order.
3. When writing personals ad which brought you together, partner somehow
forgot to include the term "emotional black hole."
2. Partners idea of quality time is attending monster truck rallies ‚ with his drinking buddies.
1. Someone asks if this is your partner, and you feel overcome by the need to apologise.
5. CLASSIFIED ADS
*****GET MORE LAUGHTER IN YOUR LIFE!*****
Check out David's tapes, posters, buttons at
<http://www.granirer.com/Products.htm>
Speakers: Learn how to incorporate stand-up comedy into your presentations. Check out David's stand-up comedy skills coaching for presenters at: http://www.granirer.com/ComedyCourse.htm
6. CONTACT INFORMATION David Granirer gives laughter in the workplace presentations for hundreds of organizations throughout North America. For more information on his presentations, stand-up comedy, products, and articles call (604) 205-9242 or go to http://www.granirer.com.
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