MerrieWay Humor kicks Depression. Humor improves health... Laugh to Happiness
Merrie Lynn Ross rallied as daytime’s first comedienne, portraying the outrageous Emma Lutz on ABC’s ‘General Hospital’. During the famed Luke (Tony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) wedding, 40 million people watched them, along with Liz Taylor. General Hospital skyrocketed and was Ranked #1 soap all time phenomenon.
Smile and Life Smiles Back Ya'
HaHa Healers Heal with Laughter – Heal with Humor
College students were watching and the cast appeared in forums across the nation, including a fiery symposium at Harvard. There were after work parties, at local restaurants and pubs where "General Hospital' was taped and viewed over and over. Discussions prevailed about the cliff hangers and what would happen next. Soap Opera genre impacted and still has influence on society. Diehard fans and occasion viewers debated and reflected on the inner workings of family, deceit, corruption, love-triangles and the like.
Merrie Lynn shared: “I was a working girl, getting to the set everyday having a ball, doing the funnies for 12 hours at a pop, and we shot 100 pages a day. I was bonkers the first day I was in over 70 pages. Anna Lee, an old timer comforted, “Don’t worry honey we all go home at night.” That was a relief. Whew! In stilettos, that’s dedication. “
TRIVIA: Merrie Lynn Ross is an improvisational actor -Robin Williams performed in the same improv'’ group.
COMEDIENNE’S SECRET TO HAPPINESS
I may not be an expert, but as daytime’s first comedienne I had my taste of ‘giggling’ my way into the hearts of millions of viewers on “General Hospital.” I created a ‘giggle’ for Emma Lutz, my character. It became my trademark and changed my life. I received truckloads of mail…mostly saying the same thing, along these lines, “Merrie Lynn, whenever I think of you and your giggle, I smile and feel happy.”
What would life be without a laugh, a giggle or a yahoo? As a comedy player my whole life has been surrounded by a laugh-track. And that includes my brother, my son, even my dog shines a big smile and wags his tale to prove it. Watching funny movies can turn a sour-puss into a happy face.
During these times of a pandemic of ‘doom and gloom’, my heart often whispers, ” I wish I were on the moon.” Staying upbeat is more challenging than ever. I laugh often. When I’m hurting inside even a laughing crow squawk, is a sign to switch to a happy gear. Finding those sweet moments as a habit can be an instant mood-changer, to be merrier, more flowing and worry-free.
Humor is an anecdote to pain, it’s a cure, a healer that can diffuse anger, frustration, and misunderstandings – it helps us to live healthier and happier lives. Emma’s little ‘giggle’ spilled over into my life, making me merrier, more appreciative of life. A giggle a day kept the doctor away.
MerrieWay’s Secret for happiness. Put a smile on your face and greet the day. You’ll get more compliments than you can imagine. The world will smile back at you. How about y’all, what’s up with your funnies?
Lighten Up With Humor
A chuckle and a giggle is a relief in the moment. A release of all hassles and concerns. You know you’ll be OK – no matter what is going on. It’s a big hug you feel inside – a comforting touch, like only Grandma could give.
Clowns have delighted audiences from Shakespeare’s jesters to Barnum Bailey Circus clowns, cajoling an audience filled with kids and adults alike. Terminally ill children have been entertained with puppets and fun frolicking clowns visiting hospitals, often feeding a youngster, who had difficult eating.
Laughter is a healing response that has been used with the elderly, to promote optimism and a will to live. Even apes are known to laugh at themselves. We take our selves too seriously and treat life’s issues as ‘do or die’.
10 WAYS LAUGHTER HEALS
1. Commit to being light hearted. Lighten up is the advice my mother gave me when I became hyper and anxiety filled. It’s an awareness that this is silly to be dwelling on whatever is bringing you down.
2. Feel appreciation and gratitude for what you have, instead of dwelling on what you don’t have – or the fear of losing what you do have. That includes money, relationships, material processions, and loved ones.
3. Start or join a laugh group. Bring funny videos, tell jokes. Share the funniest moments in your life.
4. Make up a funny story, take a real life issue that bugs you and find the irony, the satire and get on a roll. Laughter jump starts a bad, irritable mood.
5. Laughter is an exercise in itself. Your diaphragm and abdominal muscles are involved and your breathing is increased. Hearty laughs burn calories.
6. Burn out anger. You can’t laugh and be angry at the same time. Tickle yourself or have someone tickle you to get that funny bone started.
7. Laughter is contagious. It attracts friends and makes sure you are good company.
8. Laughter is better than a placebo. It improves brain function, builds immunity and reduces the risks of ulcers, heart disease, and other ailments. Humor tones down the autonomic nervous system and helps the heart relax. It’s the break needed to reduce pushing the body to the max.
9. Hang out with people who are fun. Skip the downers who want to see life as miserable, unfulfilling, and filled with gloom.
10. Bring humor into the bedroom- It amps up love-making and keeps a marriage spontaneous and fun.
MerrieWay Muses: When you learn to laugh alone, at something silly you are on the path to a happy life.
6 Tips - Star As U-Tube Comedian
MERRIE LYNN ROSS’ 6 Comedy Tips
Commit to being light hearted. Lighten up is the advice my mother gave me when I became hyper and anxiety filled. It’s an awareness that this is silly to be dwelling on whatever is bringing you down.
1. Pick a subject you are interested in that you can have fun with: Mother-In Law, Kids in Diapers, talking on Cell Phones.
2. Observe as many situations in real life or in your imagination on your subject, as you can.
3. Pick your favorite observations. Start with warm-up example and say the story out loud. Practice in front of a mirror. You become your best audience- a good start.
4. Now you’re ready to take your funnies to your family, friends, and the mailman. What are the reactions? Do you get a laugh? Practice on pets, they are a truthful tell-tale. If they snore, whoops, it’s time to amp up your act!
5. Keeping adding details, keep practicing, until you get a five-minute routine.
6. Shoot it on video. Put it up on U-Tube.
Anti-Aging Secret…Smile, Laugh, Giggle
You can’t smile and worry at the same time. You can’t frown and worry at the same time.
On the first day on a TV set- the director came over to me and held a mirror up to my face. He didn’t say a word. I looked at him. He looked away. I giggled a bit nervously and glanced into the mirror. I frowned wondering, “Maybe he doesn’t like me.” With that thought my face squished into a mass of wrinkles.
“Gotcha”, he laughed. “Take your pick, while you’re young. Smile or frown. Smiling keeps you young. Frowns follow you forever.”
I thought about what he said, after all we were doing a sit-com – everyone including the crew cracked up all day. The funnies were among us.
Shortly thereafter I stopped by my friend’s real estate office. As I went down the aisle toward his office I noticed big standup mirrors on each desk. One of the sales agents was intensely chatting on the phone. She paused, obviously listening to the person on the other end of the line. Intentionally sitting up straight she glared at herself in the mirror, and flashed a fake smile, baring her teeth she widened the grin, until it blossomed into a happy smile. He demeanor had shifted, she had lightened up her intensity and began speaking in a friendly tone.
I was intrigued thinking, “What is this group up to? Beverly Hills anti-aging?” Not exactly, I found out were practicing a sales technique that helped them deal with their clients in a more friendly way. Smiling into the mirror helped to ease the stress of selling and to insure a welcoming tone.
Lucky for me I smile a lot. I laugh and giggle and belly a guffaw. MerrieWay muses – Go for that big Smile. Grin. Bigger, show those pearly whites. Let that smile blossom into happiness. Pass your smile to everyone you meet -a friend, a stranger, your love, your child.
STRESS BUSTER - THINK FUNNY
Busy, Busy , Busy. Hurry- up! Deadlines- mounting to do lists. Overload and overwhelm, cramming it all into a stress-filled day. What is a day? Imagine we are sitting in the round…answering that question. Most simply, a 24/7 agreeable standard measured by the rising and setting of the sun. Within that natural ebb and flow - birds chirp at dawn, butterflies fly in the sunlight, and owls hoot through the night.
It is in this stillness of being; a sweetness of harmony resides. Harmony by definition is an agreement, an accord, synchronization. The opposite is friction, dissension conflict. If we are in harmony with our true nature, stress cannot co-exist.
Laughter is an energy harmonic, a flowing state of being. It raises our happiness trigger (releases hormones) in the brain and kicks in a relaxed response. Laughing is fun and it flushes out stress. I’ve had moments laughing so hard I cried. And, even snorted, I admit. These are precious moments – that are often precipitated by silliness, irony, a slapstick guffaw.
THINK FUNNY
Learn to spot funny. Grandma’s teeth in a glass. A grasshopper landing on your head.
Even a little smile can change a stress-filled moment. It’s an instant shift- a reprieve from agitation and disharmony.
MerrieWay Muses: Want a motivational burst of energy – laughter is the ticket.
Be Happy With – Why Sing The Blues?
Merrie Lynn Ross- at MerrieWay Meet-Up sat in the round with a group of Happy-Seekers pondering, “Why we choose to sing the blues? Fluttering a humming bird danced in the picture window in front of us - sending a message. We all laughed… imagining what it saying “Come outside and play.” “Stop scratching your navel and dance.” “It’s creepy to waste your time.” “Sing, really sing the blues, and watch how happy you are.” What do you imagine the hummingbird is saying to YOU?
I asked a friend what was his happy pill so we could we bottle it? He answered, “Happy = 99% living life as an adventure. Life’s short, sweat the serious stuff, later.”
Sweat the serious stuff later, that one got me. Do you take care of the worrisome, chaos trying times now, or wait, hesitate, and hope it will go away? It’s a choice to face a crisis, get past blaming and singing the blues. Be the one, you rely on and trust, be the friend you want to yourself. That inner strength, isn’t airy-fairy, it is efficient and responsible doesn’t forget a debt, or toss away a winning lotto ticket, or leave the tank on empty (auto or inner-you). We fill up with joy.
Whoa- For me Happy is when I accept ‘what is’ and stop resisting ’what isn’t’. Choose in the moment – creation, opportunity, contentment- misery takes a back row seat, anger melts away, hurts dissolve. When acceptance guides, we see what we have not seen before. Our inner world blossoms, nature’s renewal and rebirth abounds. Life’s continuous internal and external metamorphosis resurrects a broken spirit and fills the heart with hope and magical design.
Back to the Humming bird, what message can you imagine it has for YOU?
