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12 Ways to Have More Joy & Laughter in Your Life

A few months ago, we had a terrible ice storm in our area. On the second night without power, my daughter had the most creative idea.

Using just candles and flashlights, we played a game of Trivial Pursuit as a family. 

It was cold and dark.

But we laughed so much. 

It was hilarious.

Instead of sitting in the dark being miserable, we chose to have a good time.

No, the power didn’t come back on immediately, but we didn’t sit and suffer.

Rather, we had one of the most amazing moments we’ve had in a long time.

Further, we made wonderful memories right in the middle of the storm.

Key Today

Even in the middle of this crazy season in our lives and our world, we can find hope and joy, and laughter! 

We don’t have to be miserable just because so many things around us are miserable. 

We can rise above!

I want to give you some very practical ways to do this! 

I’m going to give you 12 ideas that you can begin to implement today.

FIRST – To add joy and laughter to your life, look up to heaven and be grateful for every new day that we get to enjoy!

Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us,

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! 

His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Every single morning… we get a fresh start and fresh mercies!

Adrian Rogers once said,

“If you woke up this morning and you are still here, God still has a plan for your life.”

SECOND – To add joy and laughter to your life, spend some time in the Bible each morning and get a nugget of hope for the day.

Priscilla Shirer has shared,

“Read until you get a good word for the day.

One verse or one chapter.

The key is to get you a gem that you can carry with you all day long.”

THIRD – To add joy and laughter to your life, talk to God.

Take prayer walks and talk to God.

Write out your prayers.

Talk to Him all day long. 

Link into the power and the hope.

Address Him early and often.

Spend your entire day talking to God.

There is something life-altering and attitude-changing about prayer!

FOURTH – To add joy and laughter to your life, journal, or write in a diary.

Get you a cute little book, and start writing out your thoughts, ideas, concerns, and prayers. 

One of my seminary professors, Dr. Kirk Kilpatrick, once taught us,

“There is something so powerful about writing out what we are hearing, thinking, and experiencing.

It has a healing quality to put our ideas on paper with a pen!”

FIFTH – To add joy and laughter to your life, be extremely picky and choosy about what you put into your mind!

Listen, watch and read good things. 

Fill your mind with the best and most positive, uplifting things you can find!

Turn on music that you love. 

Listen to sermons, podcasts, funny things, and positive things all day long! 

• Read a little every single morning from an inspirational book. 
• Listen to good music and praise music.
• Listen to your favorite old songs.
• Watch encouraging, funny, and uplifting movies and TV shows.

SIXTH – To add joy and laughter to your life, try to talk to 5 people every day, even by text or email.

When our kids were little, we lived in the Atlanta area. 

I didn’t know anyone. So I would take the kids to school and go to the grocery. I’d talk to store clerks and say hello to strangers. 

I’d talk to anyone who would talk back!

Honestly… Any conversations are better than no conversations!!

So, I encourage you…

• Call or text friends. 

• Reach out to old friends and family. 

• Zoom with someone. 

• Meet for lunch or dinner.

• Have friends over again!

It will make you feel better!

SEVENTH – Join something new!

Join in somewhere!

Get around more people that like the same things you do.

I know for us, we have taken up a new sport.

It’s called, “pickleball.” We started playing pickleball in our neighborhood. It’s like tennis on a smaller court.

This has opened new doors and added more fun to our lives!

I want to encourage you to join something new as well.

It’s a great time to do it!

And you may have some fun!

EIGHTH – Worship somewhere – even if online!

It is a powerful thing to be in worship and church with others!

It will encourage you!

Find a place to worship this week!

Jump back in somewhere!

NINTH – Be as healthy as you can be!

Take better care of your body!

• Drink more water and less sugar, Coke, or coffee.

• Eat more green stuff.

• Move a little every day! 

• Get a watch that helps you to move and holds you accountable.

• Stand up every hour and move around.

• Find a walking buddy or join a gym.

Taking care of your body will also help you to feel better, be happier, and sleep better.

So, do one thing today to take better care of yourself!

TENTH – To add joy and laughter to your life, give to others!

Be generous and kind!

Giving to others will make you feel better. 

It releases serotonin when you give! 

Give of your time, your money, your resources, and your gifts.

Each week, I text my friends to see how they are doing. Sometimes, I’ll send as many as 50 texts to check on others.

It always lifts my spirits. In giving to others, my joy is expanded!

Yours will be as well–when you give.

ELEVENTH – Allow yourself to laugh, smile, and have fun!

It’s okay to smile.

I know things are hard, serious, and challenging, but we don’t have to walk around all defeated!!

Remember the line in the movie Steel Magnolias, said by Sally Fields?

“I love when I’m laughing and crying at the same time.” 

So, find some ways to allow yourself to have a little fun.

Turn up the music and dance or sing at the top of your lungs!

In fact…

Try it right now… wherever you are. 

Smile.

Look in the mirror and smile at yourself.

Feel any better?

* If you need help with smiling again, we have a podcast & blog for this. 

It’s called, “Get Your Smile Back.”

You can go over and read or listen HERE.

TWELFTH – Hope Again!

It’s okay to have hope.

It’s not over yet! 

And we are still here.

It’s time to permit ourselves to live again!

It’s like the diving board at the YMCA we grew up going to.

There were so many guardrails in place around that diving board:

• A warning sign at the bottom.
• Lifeguards.
• Rails at the top of the diving board.
• Friends yelling at you from the water and sides of the pool.
• The sheer height from the top.

All of these were in place to protect you!

Honestly, we are living in a day when there are not as many guardrails. 

We just don’t see too many lifeguards, or rails, or friends yelling to be careful. 

We may have to add some guardrails ourselves – to keep us going strong!! 

That’s what I’ve tried to share with you today. 

A Gift for You!

Also, I made you a checklist to use.

You’ll find it in the space below.

Right-click, save and print this sheet.

You can put it on your fridge and try 1-2 of these actions to find more joy!

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Final Thoughts

Let’s go back to my lights-out story at the beginning of this post.

It would have been easier to sit in my chair that night in the dark – all covered in blankets and ride it out until the power came back on.

But I would have missed some of the funniest moments playing games with my kids. 

The laughter, the silliness, and the crazy.

We made some amazing memories!

The Challenge

Today, you and I can sit in our chairs, wrap up in our warm blankets and ride life out until heaven.

We can endure life until Jesus comes or takes us home.

OR… we can get out the board games and laugh with those we love.

It’s our choice.

What will we choose today??

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