Why I'm choosing humor in 2026 (and you should too)

Last night's scene: Rosie is in pieces. Alligator tears streaming down her four-year-old cheeks, wailing, "No, I want to do BIG KID things! NOT eating or cleaning the basement. I HATE those things!"

J.R. and I, meanwhile, are sitting there simultaneously exhausted by her dinner-time tantrums that seem to come out of nowhere and yet trying SO hard not to laugh at the situation. 😭😂

I'm not going to lie: there are plenty of times when I lose my patience at my kids' tantrums, but one of my theme words for the year is HUMOR, as in remember to have a sense of humor. :)

I'm not trying to become a comedian or anything, but I am actively seeking out more laughter and humor in my daily life.

So when I came across Humor Me, by Chris Duffy this week at my local bookstore, I thought YES! This is what I want to lean into right now: how laughing can make me more present, creative, connected and happy.

3 pillars of good humor

So with that introduction, I'm sharing Duffy's 3 pillars of good humor, because I totally resonate with them and think you might too.😜

1. Be present.

Being present doesn't have to relate to a meditation or mindfulness practice, which many associate with feelings of being very peaceful, or even detached from what's stressful around us. Actually, being present is about noticing what's happening here and now - and Duffy frames it as noticing more of the weird and absurd things that surround us.

For example, last week I was standing in the rain, waiting for a friend, and I noticed a black crow doing the weirdest thing I'd ever seen: he was grabbing the netting that hung around a driving range with his feet, then hanging upside-down, with his back arched and wings spread wide, looking more like a bat than a crow, then falling off in a backflip and doing it again. I was CRACKING UP at this bird because he was so obviously playing and I couldn't see any other purpose for this silly behavior other than the pure joy he was finding in it.

Had I been looking at my phone - which I often do - I would have missed this absurd and hilarious show. That's what being present looks like. It still brings a laugh out of me thinking about it a week later.

2. Laugh at yourself.

Not in a mean way - not undercutting yourself - but laugh at your mistakes in a lighthearted way. Our culture tells us we have to be flawless to be liked, successful, loved -- but this puts enormous pressure on us, and kills our sense of joy and play. So remember to take yourself a little less seriously. That conversation that you're running on replay in your mind that didn't go how you wanted - that's what you want to learn to laugh at.

3. Put yourself out there.

Duffy says, "take social risks" - So much of the way that laughter works is social. Duffy encourages us to "take social risks" and be willing to be laughed at, to actually connect with other people through humor. Go outside your norm and talk about the bizarre crow instead of commenting on the weather with someone you don't know. This is a great stretch area for me. I'm definitely a fan of stretching myself - it's one of the core principles in my new Wild Insights experience, and this is a good one for me to stretch with. Who knows, maybe I'll even sign up for an improv class and really push my boundaries this year!

Stay playful

So that's it! Three ways we can all lean into 2026 with a little more humor and laughter.

Here's my final thought: being able to see the lightness, even when there is darkness around, isn't denial - it's powerful.

Moments of joy give us the energy to face the world's problems and pain. Laughter, a sense of humor and play - maybe these are how we can have the energy, desire, and will - to actually make the world a better place. Whether the "world" is your own family or career - or something bigger than that.

"A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life." - William Arthur Ward