Laughing Out Loud
Last year at the end of my book writing process, I met with my coach to brainstorm a couple of title for my book. If you have met me in person or spoke on the phone in the past, you would probably notice that I laugh and smile a lot. Naturally, when my coach was helping me in deciding a title, we came up with a tentative title "Laughing Out Loud".
I love that idea. "Laughing out loud" or LOL
My coach and I both felt that it speaks my personality and journey. It is a reflection of who I am now. No matter how difficult the situation is in front of me, I've always had that positive outlook and optimism inside of me. I smile. I laugh. I laugh out loud.
Eventually, during the final step of the edition process, my editor suggested to come up with a more neutral and appealing title. And during the editing process, I have also noticed that there was a repetitive theme behind the stories that I was sharing; I wanted to be normal and fit in to belong. Hence, we finally landed on "Perfectly Normal: an immigrant's story of making it in America."
What I have noticed in my life and maybe in yours too, there's always humor behind all our life experiences. No matter how difficult or challenge it seems at the time, if we look hard enough we can find humor in all the things behind everything.
I remember when I first started working at my hospital job here in California, a colleague of mine had a conversation with me one day. He is this tall, big black dude who used to play on a football team back in college, 5 feet 9 inches tall, wide shoulder, muscular and tone. We became really good friends and had develop a close friendship at work. We hang out often and we joke about each other often. Generally, when we have conversation, we would be sitting next to each other while at work. But one day, we were having a conversation standing.
I felt a bit unease. He stood closer to me and I had to tilt my head at an angle to make eye contact from my height. We talked for a couple of minutes and then suddenly I had tell him to back off. Here's what people don't realize when they speak to children or anyone who has a short stature; in order for the person in front of you to speak to you, you must keep a distance close and far enough that the person is able to make eye contact with you. And My friend hadn't had much experience with speaking to someone as short as I am, he had no idea it was something that had been on my mind and it bothered me every time we speak standing.
There's always humor behind our life experiences.
My friend and I still laugh about how this came about and it was in the context that I finally felt comfortable enough with him to express my inner fear. And the way I told him was this: "You need to stand back a bit so I am not staring at your crotch all the time."
If I were to write and publish another book this year, it would probably have to be on my experience on being short. And I would probably title it "A view from my height" with a subtitle "Laughing Out Loud".
Through out the year, I had many clients who came and ask me "I just don't know what to do..." or "I just came get over the fact..." whenever you are caught up with the negative self-talks that keep ranting on endlessly, here is something you CAN do. you can keep allowing yourself getting beat down by it or you can rise up with a sense of humor and laugh about it.
The more you take it lightly, the better you will be able to shift your perspectives.
With Love,
Michelle
