December 2008

I Guarantee It!

Just in case you are having a hard time mustering the “ho, ho, ho” in your holiday season, I ask you to spend just one minute and twenty-two seconds of your time watching a clip that is guaranteed to make you laugh. How’s that for a bold statement? Of course, I can’t back it up with any amazing promises … other than another year of this monthly free newsletter hitting your e-doorstep in 2009. One disclaimer and two notes before you take a look: 1) No alcohol was consumed prior to the completely impromptu taping of this clip; 2) You needn’t send me an e-mail telling me I need to “keep my day job!” and 3) This clip stars yours truly, her dear friend Michael Sally (pictured above), and features an auditory cameo by another dear friend Geoff Brown. It was taped by the one-and-only Bill Scala, amateur videographer. Have a good chuckle at our expense! Click here, or cut and paste this url into your web browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3Man4MhABM

“Laugh, and the world laughs with you” ~ Poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Second Annual Prompts for Joy

For the second year in a row, I’ve compiled a list of “greatest hits” links to either humorous, moving, or inspirational clips, most of which are available via the wonderful www.youtube.com. And it’s free! The list is longer than last year so don’t even try to view all of these clips at once!

Click here or go to this url in your web browser, http://www.mcscala.com/html/PromptsForJoy.html for the complete list of links on a new page of my website.

Some say the cultivation of joy is an “inside job.” But who says you can’t employ visual or auditory aids?

Looking Good vs. Having Fun

Remember that outdated notion of “keeping up with the Jones-es?” Talk about a killjoy, eh?

Believe me, if I were concerned with looking good, you would never have gotten to see the clip mentioned above. Perhaps looking good is a bit over-rated? May you give yourself the gift of laughing at yourself, and letting others laugh with you. It costs nothing … and the return on investment is large.

                       Love, Martha

Joy-Gram for December

Most digital cameras have a video-taping function.  I dare you to tape or star in a mini-clip … be it rehearsed or not.   If you send it my way, I promise to give it consideration for the 3rd Annual Prompts for Joy in December 2009!

Caring.com

The website, www.Caring.com is dedicated to “Helping You Help Your Parents,” and it has a wealth of resources. At this website, I respond to questions posted by readers on the topics of grief and loss, substance abuse, and caregiver self-care. If you’d like to locate my responses easily, type “Martha Clark Scala” in the Find box at the Home page of this website.

Archives Now Available

To re-read or share past Out On A Limb newsletters, click here, or type the following url into your browser: http://www.mcscala.com/html/EZineArchives.html.

Forward This Newsletter

If you look below, you’ll see a link that says Forward e-mail. Please feel free to share this or any other issue of Out On A Limb with anyone you’d like.

Disclaimer
By no means do I have joy “figured out.” Please do not assume that I do! I write Out On a Limb as much as a meditation for myself in the ongoing pursuit of joy, as for you. I think this pursuit is a lifelong journey and that the full experience of joy is, at best, episodic. May we all have more episodes!