Research has shown that laughter reduces the levels of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, increases the levels of beneficial hormones such as endorphins, can break up negative cycles of thinking, broaden our perspective, and enhance social connectedness. In fact, much of laughter’s benefits might come through (or be significantly enhanced by) the improved social connections that it facilitates.
To that end, I’m posting a YouTube video that a good friend of mine sent me. This well-done video is of a young lady who has never seen the Star Wars films but is trying to retell the story as best she can. Her friend provides some great visuals to go along with her “retelling” of the saga. It should give you a good laugh – especially if you have seen the films or are a fan. In a way, she does a surprisingly good job of retelling the story for someone who has never seen the films – that shows how much Star Wars as permeated our culture!
And it is done in a playful manner and is not mean-spirited. I think we must be wary of humor that is at others’ expense. Fortunately, this video comes from a pure place…the young lady seems to have a good time trying to tell the story, and we can all laugh guilt-free.
So, enjoy this video but try experiencing it with others. Like me, you’ve probably been with a group of people before and know how much fun it can be to share videos and the laughs together. I’m a firm believer that positive social connections are one of the primary keys to happiness in life. In fact, I’m going to watch this video again right now with my wife because she hasn’t seen it yet!