by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
They say laughter is the best medicine and there were a whole lot of Realtors who left the Northeast Florida Association of Realtor meeting last month held at the Jacksonville Marriott feeling a lot better.
Sam Glenn started the event by focusing everyone’s attention on him. He dimmed the lights, put on demonstrative music and proceeded to use chalk to create a beautiful nightfall ocean scene complete with crashing waves, large rocks, birds, moonlight, a lighthouse and stars overhead.
Once everyone was tuned in, relaxed and focused, he turned up the lights and started to speak.
“So, what do you think of that?” asked Glenn. “Today I drew a lighthouse for two reasons: one, because I can, and two, because I’m going to talk about it. I believe all of us have a light in us. Sometimes the light gets darkened based on circumstances in life and sometimes we have to renew that light.”
Glenn believes that light is our attitude.
“The one attitude we need to remember and hold onto and keep despite our circumstances and an attitude that works for us is a sense of humor,” he said. “We need to lighten up. We are becoming way too uptight.”
He said your attitude really does make a difference.
“This is your time to be the difference,” said Glenn.
Glenn told of a medical research study where millions of dollars were spent to find out four things about people who have a good sense of humor.
From the study they found that they live longer, they get sick less, they earn more money and they are more attractive.
“How many of you notice that it is hard to function and do your best when you are surrounded by an atmosphere of negative people?” he asked. “It’s very difficult. We can’t change other people. The only thing we can change is ourselves.”
Glenn told of people who changed their environment or who helped use the power of humor to control a situation, lighten the mood and keep everyone happy.
“If you rely on others you are in a leadership role,” said Glenn.
Glenn said that something many don’t know about inventor Thomas Edison is that every morning he would get his staff together to tell them jokes from his collection of notebooks filled with jokes.
“He found out that the staff that laughs together works harder, more effectively, they are more productive and become more team-oriented. Isn’t that something? A joke a day can change your way.”