I can LAUGH, I can LOVE, I can DREAM, I can DO HARD THINGS

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It is well established at this point in 2020 that these are complicated, trying times.  The days blur together, work/life balance is totally out of whack, we worry about our health and the health of our loved ones, our families and friends are reeling from the economic implications from a shut down economy, not to mention the incredible challenges in engaging our students in learning, it takes determination, resiliency...and LAUGHTER to get us through.  Laughter and fun are antidotes that build our resiliency.  How might we find opportunities for fun, laughter and play in these times?  

As Bryan Robinson, PhD notes in his article, ‘Too many of us take daily challenges with grim, crippling seriousness and humourless determination, thinking our lives have to be all work and no play, which can straitjacket us. If you’re like many people, you believe you must toil and sweat before earning the right to have fun. You might even feel guilty laughing and smiling during hard times or if you feel like you haven’t earned it, met a deadline, or completed that email.’

What is the relationship between trust and humour? To be able to laugh with someone we must present ourselves and be receptive. Humour and shared laughs have an important role to play in building trust, building relationships and supporting well being. 

“There are enormous possibilities when all cards are thrown up in the air, waiting to be gathered up in new patterns.”
— Barack Obama, 2020

Sue Stephenson, author of three books about laughter, humour and trust for educators and parents, will join us for this Shift Pop Up Meet on Oct 6, 2020 @ 8:30pm-9:30pm.  She will be talking about giving permission to laugh, having fun and seeking healthy humour to ease the way through tough times.  She will discuss the idea of embracing a playful, creative mindset to discover new pathways and opportunities to “do school” differently. Most importantly, she advocates for building a community of trust through vulnerability, having fun together and celebrating mistakes. This is important in this moment when, as Barack Obama noted in one of his messages to this years’ graduates, “There are enormous possibilities when all cards are thrown up in the air, waiting to be gathered up in new patterns.  As Shifters, we will discuss where we can make space for fun, laughter and play in this moment.  Come laugh with us as we take an hour to fill our bucket once again.


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