The Power of a Stare Down

We had another showdown at our house when our youngest child protested about eating vegetables. These encounters occur rather frequently around our dinner table. I stifled a laugh when I looked over and heard a small voice say, “We meet again, enemy.” What a way to talk to your lima beans! Even a serious showdown can end on a lighter note. Take a look:

                                             http://youtu.be/YFX_DDouOmM

Never underestimate the power of a stare down to loosen things up. Mix it with a good laugh, and you’ve got a great diffuser for stress and negative energy. Did you know there are laughter clubs where people gather just to laugh? One New York area club meets in a cemetery. I can’t make this stuff up! If there isn’t one in your area, by all means start one!  

Ok, maybe a laughter club isn’t your thing. What do you do to distress and rejuvenate?

The Alarming Situation

It is official. Autumn is here and you know what that means. Every morning’s chilly and grey skies start our days. Bliss is lying in bed under the warm covers minutes before the alarm clock rings. But, if you have to get up, you’ll need all your strength to push back the blankets and roll out of bed. Fall makes getting up especially hard and the Battle of the Sheets isn’t an easy victory. Of course, we offer a good fight by hitting the snooze button (several times) and vowing to get up in “two more minutes.” Kids and pets can be great motivators to drag us out of bed, but if you rise first in your home or live alone—good luck!

Many of us use some type of gadget to wake up, but those obnoxious alarm clocks fail to offer the real encouragement we need. Most alarm clocks lack pizzazz. Here’s a guy who donned his thinking cap and got creative:

                                          http://youtu.be/kQ-l5PlDa-k

If I had an alarm clock like that one, I’d have to blame my tardiness on something besides oversleeping. I could blame it on the concussion I would surely get from using that contraption. Barring extreme alarm clocks, what makes you leap out of bed, eager to start a new day?