Humor can be one of our best survival tools.

To a child, often the box a toy came in is more appealing than the toy itself.

Kids can amuse themselves with almost anything.

Humor can alter any situation and help us cope at the very instant we are laughing.

When we can find some humor in our upsets, they no longer seem as large or as important as they once did.

And, unlike the earlier bombing on the World Trade Center, a major landmark and symbol of the strength of the financial world was, not just damaged but, totally destroyed.

Now, a recent study from cardiologists at the University of Maryland, has shown that laughter may have a beneficial effect on the heart.

Today’s business and health care climate may not be pleasant. Cutbacks, pay cuts and layoffs do not make anyone’s job easy. But that does not mean that the humor need stop.

A little perspective, like a little humor, goes a long way.

You may not be able to change a situation, but with humor you can change your attitude about it.

Laughter can help relieve tension in even the heaviest of matters.

Any attempts at humor immediately after September 11th were deemed tasteless.

Like sheep that get lost nibbling away at the grass because they never look up, we often focus so much on ourselves and our problems that we get lost.

Whether planned or not, humor takes our mind off of our troubles.

The studies indicate that focusing our attention on someone else, takes our mind off of our own problems. We stay healthier and thereby live longer.

Sometimes it takes ten seconds to see some humor in your dilemmas, sometimes ten years.

Zen teaches that once we can open up to the inevitability of our demise, we can begin to transform that situation and lighten up about it.

Advertisers also know that humor can help bond us to their product.

It is still not clear from this study how laughter can directly help the heart but other studies have shown that laughter is beneficial for every system in the body.

Humor can help you cope with the unbearable so that you can stay on the bright side of things until the bright side actually comes along.

When times get tough, at some point, people instinctively know they need to lighten up in order to get through it.

Throughout history, great leaders have known the power of humor.

Humor does not diminish the pain – it makes the space around it get bigger.

Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.

When we are dealing with death we are constantly being dragged down by the event: Humor diverts our attention and lifts our sagging spirits.

Humor expands our limited picture frame and gets us to see more than just our problem.

The tragedy of September 11th was so sudden, so enormous, and so horrendous, both in terms of lives lost and global consequences, that this country and the world went into immediate and prolonged shock.

Since the goal of my programs is to show audiences how humor can both help them heal as well as deal with not-so-funny stuff, I decided to discuss the events of the previous week, the pain all of us were feeling, and how humor and some laughter might be beneficial.

I contend that not only can you laugh at adversity, but it is essential to do so if you are to deal with setbacks without defeat.

No matter what has happened, you too have the power to enjoy yourself.

In looking for humor, keep in mind this guideline: Sometimes it takes a little time to see the humor in your upsets; you may not find something to laugh about immediately.

Laughing is also good for your respiratory system.

When you do find humor in trying times, one of the first and most important changes you experience is that you see your perplexing problems in a new way – you suddenly have a new perspective on them.

Children remind us to treasure the smallest of gifts, even in the most difficult of times.

While most of us know that we feel better after a good hearty laugh, science, in many cases, is yet to prove why.

It has been said that 80% of what people learn is visual.

Laughter, and the broader category of humor, are key elements in helping us go on with our life after a loss.

The lesson adults can learn here is that the world is filled with things for our enjoyment.

When you think about advertisements, it makes sense that they want to hold and retain our attention.

Research has shown that people who volunteer often live longer.

Humor can be one of our best survival tools.