Laughter and work

We have made a virtue out of being serious. We believe that to be professional, to be businesslike, to have credibility and power, we must be austere, solemn and sober with nary a smile, laugh nor twinkle of the eye to be displayed openly. Thus, our places of work are mausoleums, testimony to the nameless, soulless concept of work. Fun? No way – that is antithetical to work, for how could we actually consider enjoying something that is serious business? No wonder so many of us don’t like work, our workplaces, bosses and co-workers! “Monday morning blues” and “Thank God it’s Friday” are indicators of our view of work. 

It is our innate human nature to laugh! One of the first things babies do is smile, gurgle and laugh. It brings the rest of us joy and we laugh too. Babies all through the animal kingdom play and have fun. And it too brings the rest of us joy, smiles and laughter. Interestingly, children laugh 300 times per day whilst adults laugh on average, only 15 times per day! Seems like we lose our natural way of being as we get older! Yet, when we are laughing and joyous is when we feel, and do our best. Suppressing our joyous being from our work is one of the worst things we can do to our soul. Trying to leave our joy at home, and keep it out of the workplace is like going to work without our heart, or our lungs. We would die. And thus it is when we separate our joy from our work – we die a slow, torturous death of stress, complaints, mistrust, boredom and sadness at the office.

Here are two photographs of laughing professionals – a corporate trainer an engineer, a dentist, a Minister of Religion, who know and demonstrate that God gave us the gift of joy and laughter to be expressed wherever we are!

Today, laugh at work! take a risk at being considered “unprofessional” – you might just be surprised at how many people actually like it – and join you!