When was the last time you really laughed? That deep belly laugh that goes all the way to your toes.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 says that there’s “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

To live free: Make time to laugh

That may seem like an odd concept, but if we’ve fallen out of practice, it’s time to learn to laugh again.

It begins by laughing with those closest to us. 

Have you ever watched your child laugh with friends? You watch their lighthearted chatter and wish they’d do that more with you. There may be times our loved ones think the same thing. They see that smile or light-hearted banter and long for it to be aimed in their direction.

Our home is where stress can be the highest but it’s also where the people we love the most reside. If it’s been a while since you laughed, surprise your loved ones with that gift. It absolutely changes the mood of your home.

Give less of yourself to joy-robbing activities

We all have a lot of roles and responsibilities, but how much of ourselves do we offer to those tasks?

• Do they consume all of our free time?
• Do they take the place of refueling and rest?
• Is every job our job?

The answers to those questions help us as we do the best we can to carve out pockets of space just for down time with those we love best.

[ctt template=”4″ link=”ma5Iz” via=”yes” ]The one thing I want my children to remember is that their mom laughed. #livingfreetogether #morethansmalltalk [/ctt]

Give social media a demotion

Social media can often take the place of face-to-face interaction. It robs us of connection, which is where laughter is nurtured.

I’ve had to ask myself these questions:

• Does social media rank higher than my time with real live people?
• Is my phone always next to me?
• Do I interrupt real-life conversations so I won’t miss a single notification?

If there are answers I don’t like, it’s up to me to make that change. One simple change is putting my phone in the other room rather than next to me when I’m spending time with someone.

One day, when we assess everything that matters most, face-to-face time with people is going to rank so much higher than hours accumulating trivia and forgettable details.

These small changes help us arrive on that day with a lot less regrets.

Let’s exchange meaningless, faceless time with face-to-face relationships.

That way, instead of regrets, we’ll look back and remember heart-to-hearts with our family and friends. We’ll remember laughter that erupted when we least expected it. Laughter that went deep.

Ask God to help you laugh again

If it’s been awhile, ask God to show you how to rediscover little things that make you smile. Invite him into this new season as you schedule out things so you can schedule in laughter. And don’t be afraid to belly laugh. I don’t care who’s watching. Life is sacred. Life goes by fast.

Enjoy today, my sweet friend, and don’t forget to laugh.

Suzie

Resources

On today’s episode of More Than Small Talk podcast, Holley Gerth, Jennifer Watson, and I discuss why we struggle to have fun, and how to let loose and rediscover that gift.

Discover all the ways you can tune in to the More Than Small Talk podcast!