BY JEFF CORBETT

In “The Story File,” Steve May shares a story about three ministers from different churches in the same town who decided to go fishing.

As they fished, they started confessing their sins to one another. The first pastor said, “Can you guess what my big sin is? My sin is drinking.”

“On Friday nights, I drive to a bar in a nearby town and proceed to get drunk. I know I shouldn’t, and it’s very wrong, but I can’t stop myself. That’s my big sin.”

The second minister spoke up. “My big sin is gambling. Do you remember all that money that I raised for the orphanage? Well, I took it to Las Vegas and I lost every penny. I feel so ashamed because my big sin is gambling.”

It was the third man’s turn. He said, “Guys, I probably should’ve gone first because my big sin is gossiping!”

A Grim Statistic

I chose to start off today with a joke because today’s world needs a good dose of levity. Didn’t it feel good to smile or laugh just now?

But it’s not a rosy picture. “Health Magazine” reports that preschool children laugh 400 times a day; however, that figure plummets to an average of only 15 times a day by the time we reach age 35.

Whoa! What happened?

When we grow up, we’re supposed to get all serious and solemn — or that’s what they say.

I say “they” should take a hike.

Many people associate a sense of humor with being funny, telling jokes, or playing pranks. That is a part of humor, but it’s actually something much more.

Using humor is more about an upbeat perspective; it’s evidence of a light-hearted and positive approach to life’s situations. It is anti-drama and an outlook centered in the fun of being human, a way to celebrate one another and the humorous moments in our day-to-day living.

As an HR director for Chili’s Restaurant once noted, “Our philosophy is that if you’re having fun, you’ll be much more productive.”

Accountemps found that 96 percent of executives surveyed think that people with a sense of humor do better at their jobs than those who have little or no sense of humor.

Humor in your work and life is spontaneous, as about 80 percent of all fun and laughter is unplanned. It’s said the reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly.

Good for the Soul

Ronald A. Berk, professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University and author of “Top Secret Tips for Successful Humor in the Workplace,” explains that humor consistently offers these five benefits:

♦ Reduces negative emotional consequences of stress, anxiety, and tension;
♦ Decreases depression, loneliness, and anger;
♦ Improves mood;
♦ Increases self-esteem; and
♦ Promotes a sense of empowerment

Humor Gives a Lift

While filming the Holocaust movie “Schindler’s List” in Poland, Steven Spielberg made weekly phone calls to comedian Robin Williams to lift his spirits from the tragic subject matter of the movie.

Abraham Lincoln, in the darkest moments of the Civil War, was chastised by his staff for his moments of levity, to which he replied, “Gentlemen, why don’t you laugh? With the fearful strain that is upon me night and day, if I did not laugh, I should die.”

If Spielberg and Lincoln can laugh, so can you. But how?

Turn off the TV, smartphone, or computer and get face-to-face social. Robert Provine at the University of Maryland found that people laugh 30 times more often in a social setting than they do alone.

Humor builds rapport in business and in your life. Share a joke or funny story. Don’t take life so seriously. You’ll never get out of it alive.

Start Using Swirls

Noted speaker Bert Decker, in his book “You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard,” shares a neat technique he calls “swirls.”

Rather than telling a long-winded or unfunny joke, pepper your conversations with short sayings that may get a chuckle, a laugh, or just a smile and a spark of fun.

Things like:

“He’s nuttier than Mr. Peanut”
“In the battle of wits, she is unarmed”
“Quieter than a graveyard between funerals.”
“Time is a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.”
“Some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.”
“Some days you’re the bug, and some days you’re the windshield”

Comedian Fred Allen once quipped, “I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.”

“60 Minutes” host Andy Rooney was fond of saying, “Life is like a roll of toilet paper; the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes.”

When I can’t remember something or am slow with an answer, I say, “It takes me an hour and a half to watch ’60 Minutes,’ ” or (on a cloudy day) “Forgive me, I have a solar-powered brain.”

You get the point. Humorous snippets add spice and interest and bring a breath of fresh air to life. You probably have your favorites — so use them more often!

What to Do?

Henry Ward Beecher observed “A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs — jolted by every pebble in the road.”

If you feel yourself sinking into a funky gloom, take a break and step outside in the bright sunshine. Take a walk. Call a friend. Smile more often. Go to lunch with a buddy. Watch a funny movie.

Associate with positive people, and avoid those masquerading as black clouds. Start incorporating humor and fun into your daily routine. It’s better than any pill.

President John F. Kennedy once said, “There are three things which are real: God, Human Folly and Laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension so we must do what we can with the third.”

While April is National Humor Month, it should be every month and every day.

Examine yourself, and become that person people love to talk with. Exercise your humor muscle, and use some laughter to brighten someone’s day!

Jeff Corbett is an experienced public speaker, meeting facilitator and sales and marketing professional. He lives in Statesville. He can be reached at jeff@speak-well.com.