Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the optimistic little boy 
who, when confronted with a room full of horse manure, dove 
right in, exclaiming, “With all this manure, there’s got to be a pony 
in here somewhere!” Although I don’t think I want to hug him 
right now, I think the little fellow’s got it right. 
 
No matter how big a pile of “manure” life dumps in your 
path, looking for the pony is the best response. Even if there is no 
pony, digging in with enthusiasm is better for us than being burdened 
with reluctance and resentment. Between you and me, there usually 
is a pony, but we miss it because we’re not looking for it. 
 
When you opened your eyes this morning, you were already 
breathing. If not, I don’t think you should be reading this. 
 
If you went on to check the obituaries and didn’t find your 
name, you’re apparently alive. That’s a miracle. Celebrate it. 
 
Celebration is made up of two elements — gratitude and 
joy. Remember, joy is the most natural state for us humor beings. If 
you want more joy in your life, begin each moment with gratitude. 
 
Gratitude is the essence of celebration. It doesn’t have to be noisy or 
raucous. A quiet “thank you” to a special person in your life can be 
an effective form of celebration. 
 
If you have not been celebrating everything, try this exercise: 
 
Exercise #10: 
 
Get in the habit of listening for the sounds of laughter 
constantly going on all around you. I call these sounds the Symphony 
of Laughter. 
 
Whenever you are out in a public place, such as the mall, an 
airport, or a theater lobby, you can hear laughter, because that’s the 
way we communicate when we have no imposed agenda. Whether 
it’s a giggle right beside you or a guffaw from across the room, the 
sound will lift your spirits and bring a smile to your face. 

Soon one more laugh will be heard—yours. 
 
There you have my Ten Commandments of Fun, each a 
practical strategy for bringing forth your humor nature in all its 
strength and glory. Notice that all of them are focused on you, rather 
than the things going on around you. That’s because, if you’re aiming 
to focus on fun, you must look to yourself first. As selfish as that 
may sound, it’s simply the way it is. 
 
The roots of fun do not lie in the circumstances or things 
that surround you. They are deeply embedded within your being. 
 
If you catch yourself thinking thoughts like, “I could have more 
fun, if I had more money” or “My job would be more fun if the 
boss would get off my back,” you’re focusing in the wrong direction. 
 
Fun starts inside you and works its way out. It doesn’t happen 
the other way. 
 
The best way to remember how fun works is to “take” my 
Ha Ha Ha Prescription. Whereas most doctors say, “Open wide 
and say AH,” I say, “Open wide and say HA HA HA.” 
 
The first HA is Humor Attitude. This is where fun begins. 
 
Attitude is a 100 percent inside job. Our attitude may be the only 
thing in life over which we have total control. If we cultivate an 
attitude of willingness to be light and playful, to appreciate all the 
absurdities swirling around us all the time and to laugh whenever 
we can, we have done our part. 
 
The next step happens automatically, without any effort 
 
from us. Our Humor Attitude creates a Humor Atmosphere around 
us. That is the second HA. It just “oozes” from us. Others may not 
know what to call it, but they know it’s there. They can feel it. They 
are drawn into it. It’s irresistible. They want to be near us and hear 
what we have to say. They are eager to share their positive thoughts 
with us. They want to “play” with us. 
 
Once this is accomplished, what follows is a no-brainer. 
 
The very next thing we do will be fun. That’s the last HA—a Humor 
Action. Humor Action does not require anyone to be witty or funny.

There is no pressure to perform or to make anything happen. It is
merely a trustworthy natural outcome. 
 
Because we have the tendency to mistakenly think that 
success produces fun instead of the other way around, we often find 
ourselves trying to apply the HA HA HA Prescription backwards. 
 
We attempt to say or do something funny (Humor Action) hoping 
that our “performance” will stimulate laughter (Humor Atmosphere) 
and thus lighten the mood of everyone present (Humor Attitude). 
 
It doesn’t work that way. Even when it seems to, it’s only a 
transient phenomenon, hardly a dependable basis for lasting success. 
 
Sustained excellence comes only from having fun first, and that 
begins, not ends, with attitude. 
 
With the HA HA HA Prescription and the Ten 
Commandments of Fun under our belts, we are now ready to 
consider how to build the Fun Factor back into our lives. Let’s begin 
by looking at the most basic social structure we encounter in life— 
our family.