Do you want to hear a knock knock joke?

I’ve had a rough couple of days. It seems that I can’t catch my breath, and the world has felt  i-n-t-e-n-s-e, lately. Maybe it’s the full moon, five consecutive days of cloudy skies and constant rain, or it could be just a ripple in the ocean wave of experience that naturally ebbs and flows through all of us.

Whatever it is, I want a bit of relief.

Right Now.

On top on my list is a good nap, a nap so good that you’ve slobbered without realizing it.

But second to that, I’ll take a chuckle. Anne Lamott calls laughing carbonated-holiness.

Maybe you’ve been feelin’ the same kind of intense energy. If not, yippee and hallelujah.

If so, here’s a thing I try to remember to do when I’m in this space, though I haven’t actually done it yet because I tend to cave in when I feel this way. 

But I decided I would, and so I am… with you. I share a knock-knock joke with my family via text.

Here’s the genius of this little gesture.

1. Reaching out to your people is important. It’s why I’m here today and why I’ll reach out to my family via text message in a bit. Connection is our primary human instinct, yet isn’t it odd that we back away from our closest connections when we feel vulnerable?

2. Giving… gives us more. It’s a bit counter intuitive, but I can watch a comedy special on Netflix and generate that holy-carbonation, knowing that a cheesy knock-knock joke might make a person I care about laugh… that’s a twofer.

Relationships are central to having a good life. We need connection more than we need food and shelter. There’s been fascinating research done lately on how Maslow’s Hierarchy has it wrong. We’re wired to belong more than anything. Social rejection is processed by the brain a lot like physical pain. My favorite researcher is Lieberman. He writes about it in his book, Social: Why our Brains are Wired to Connect.

So let’s do this. 

Knock knock

Who’s There

Europe

Europe who?

Wait for it… 

No, you’re a poo. 🙂 

lol ????

I just had an interesting insight. Perhaps this is why we often put others’ needs before our own

because connection matters more to our survival than lunch does. Interesting.

Love.Being.Human isn’t just a tagline. It’s instructions for a thriving life: Honor our humanity, renew in stillness through presence, and connect—first within ourselves and then between us and others.

Let’s build on this connection thing. It’s your turn to tell me a knock-knock joke.

I’m ready for some bubble giggles! Bring on your best. ????

Let’s talk soon,

Vivi 

xoxoxo ????????