Ep. 24 - Amusement as a Coping Skill with Sarah Hagy Investment of Self: Type ‘C’ Transformation Podcast
[00:00:00] This episode is the second of a series of four that I'm bringing up from the archives. These interviews were done originally during COVID as part of a course that I designed about positive emotions in an effort to help us cope more skillfully and build resilience during a time of great fear and uncertainty.
I bring these from the archives for two reasons. One, I think it's worth remembering how challenging our lives were at that time and that we got through it. Perhaps just this thought alone will bring you a sense of gratitude. The second reason is that positive emotions are one of the skills I help clients build in their transformation of type C coping.
They create a strong foundation of self identity. In this episode, I'll talk about that. I talk with one of my dear friends, Sarah Hagee, about the positive emotion of amusement. Sarah has been masterful in teaching me and [00:01:00] others how to use the levity of humor to get through what we need to get through and also to get what we need.
May this podcast be a catalyst for you to become the better version of you, just bursting to step forward.
Kathy Washburn: Hello Sarah Hagee and welcome. Hi Kat, good to see you. It's so [00:02:00] So we're here to talk about the topic of amusement, the emotion, emotion of amusement.
Kathy Washburn: But I first like to introduce my guests, um as to how I know them. And you and I have known each other for 30 plus years, I think, I have to say your name just comes to my head when I think of amusement. The first time I met you, and hopefully I won't be talking out of school here, but we met at a borders cafe, which was about a mile and a half from here.
Kathy Washburn: It's a Mexican restaurant. And we met at the table and I don't know minutes into it. You said let's go to the ladies room. So we went to the ladies room Where you decided that you needed a cigarette and your boyfriend didn't know that you smoked No, they had a system and the system was just precious. It was a bang Yes, Michael Jackson glove, and you doned the glove, and you smoked that cigarette, and [00:03:00] then you peeled it off, and you put it back in the little baggie, and then you had another little baggie in the baggie that had banaca, and you spritzed, and, and I thought, for real?
Kathy Washburn: Do you not think he's gonna smell that? And you're like, no, no, I got this system. I did. And I think we have laughed ever since then.
Sarah Hagy: We have
Kathy Washburn: over
Sarah Hagy: and over and over again. Fabulous. Oh my gosh. I was just looking at the picture you gave us. The heart, you know. Yeah. Pictures. It's in my bathroom. You can't miss it.
Sarah Hagy: But, um, Um, I just really zoomed in on the pictures and there's one of our kids all lined up in the kind of a funny awkward Um closeness pose, um, you know It was funny, but I just got such amusement out of that. I shared that with everybody I was like, do you remember that moment? So funny, we couldn't get them to Hold each other that way now [00:04:00]
Kathy Washburn: Right remember that used to just like sniff around each other for about a couple of hours every time We saw and then you couldn't pry them apart with yes ours Such a beautiful time.
Kathy Washburn: I think those I know I know. I hope they savor those moments. I
Sarah Hagy: do. I know my girls and boy do yeah Yeah,
Kathy Washburn: and that's another positive emotion like It's a beautiful thing with positive emotions that you can actually remember a memory and experience exactly the same emotion that you felt in the past.
Kathy Washburn: during the time. Yes. Really magical, especially in the time we're in right now when we're all separate. I know you normally come to the East, come to New Hampshire with your family, but you, you can shut your eyes and have that memory and evoke all of the exact same feelings, oxytocin and everything. It works the same way.
Kathy Washburn: It's a beautiful. Yeah. It's kind of [00:05:00] magical. The positive emotion of amusement is a really interesting one to me, because you, when I started researching this more, you had said a long time ago, because I've always thought you were hysterical, and I, we share a lot of amusing moments together, but you said, I'm not like this with everybody.
Kathy Washburn: Like there are some friend groups that I have where I don't, um, I don't have that comfort level. And when I was reading the research and it said that this is a practice that is based on. circumstances of feeling safe and feeling that you're in a safe environment to practice this risky or high, uh, high investment skill when you're solving problems.
Kathy Washburn: And you've always brought this element of humor and amusement, even in the most difficult situations and in my situation of having cancer, uh, you were able to make me laugh like [00:06:00] nobody else. Um, in fact, I think when you came to visit when I was sick you were, Kevin was downstairs with your luggage and you were upstairs and you asked him to get something and he was yelling from the basement and he's saying Sarah, why did you pack all this food?
Kathy Washburn: And you were like, food? Why not? There's no food in there. And then he came upstairs with these eyes and he said, we took the wrong suitcase.
Sarah Hagy: There was so much food in there! I thought, is this just for me? Is she just trying to make me laugh? But no, it was real. It was perfect. It was perfect. Perfectly done.
Sarah Hagy: But you
Kathy Washburn: really, really do have the ability to to promote like this, this feeling of closeness and belonging through um, This art of amusement.
Sarah Hagy: Aww!
Kathy Washburn: [00:07:00] And so I have one example, but do you, do you see that in yourself? Can you, think of an
Sarah Hagy: example? Yes, and my kids always say that I do. I'm just always, I always want to be silly.
Sarah Hagy: I just always want to find humor in anything. I don't stay mad long. I, I just think life is so short, and I think you, I know you taught us that, um, to appreciate these moments, I guess I, after you asking me to do this, I was thinking that I do go through life finding humor and ways to laugh and make people laugh, because I do think it's so important to smile and laugh, They, they remember you.
Sarah Hagy: They, you know, I, I, I, I think that's why sometimes I'm memorable because I made them feel so good, you know, laughing or just smiling. Right. Just so it's so simple and, um, I, I just feel like it, it makes your day. And, I do try [00:08:00] to make especially difficult situations more pleasant and yeah, I do do that.
Sarah Hagy: And I do have a. examples of that if you, if you want some funny things that have happened.
Kathy Washburn: Well, I know that one of your favorite quotes is Maya Angelou's, you say it. I can't remember that.
Sarah Hagy: It doesn't matter what you say or what you do. But well, this is really a short version, but it doesn't matter what you say or what you do, but it's how you make them feel.
Sarah Hagy: And I think it's, it's brilliant. It's so brilliant. You don't have to do anything or give them anything. Um, but, but the way you make somebody feel is, is where it's at. And I think it's so simple. It's so simple. Just share a laugh, share a
Kathy Washburn: smile with them, And this is the whole, um, this is the whole thing around this course.
Kathy Washburn: Actually, the course is about emotions in general, but positive emotions have a specific, [00:09:00] Role to play in our lives ever since the beginning of time negative emotions do as well negative emotions were meant To warn us and keep us safe, but positive emotions were were meant to play this pro social behavior It was meant to evoke these Facial recognition or even our hearing is more more attuned to the human Voice when we're in a sense of positivity You Because it's meant to be, we're meant to interact with each other.
Kathy Washburn: And that's the way, even back in the Stone Age, we were meant to be able to, come together as a tribe, or it was all in these pro social behaviors. And we let those go so easily in our culture today. Yeah, yeah. Um, hold on to the negative and let the, the positive kind of wash away. So this whole course is around, um, Bringing awareness to these positive emotions that we have all day long, right?
Kathy Washburn: Yes. [00:10:00] I agree. Exactly amusement is an interesting one because it's one of the very few that that we have both an up regulation and a down regulation and the up regulation is when we have to shift our attention away from inappropriate laughter.
Kathy Washburn: And I remember at my father, my grandfather's funeral and I was sitting next to my sister and I knew that she had to get up to give the eulogy. And I don't know why I thought it was funny. Like it was so inappropriate, but my sister and my brother both thought I was crying. So my brother, like arm around me.
Kathy Washburn: And then I looked at him and he realized I was laughing and he was like, I love it! What are you doing? Yes, yes, yes! This is so inappropriate! And I tried to take everything I could to down, to
Sarah Hagy: down regulate
Kathy Washburn: it. Yes. Um, up regulation, uh, by focusing on the humorous even in spite of a negative situation. [00:11:00] And one, That comes to mind with, with, actually, I'm going to let you share one.
Kathy Washburn: Uh, do you have ones that you can remember where you've up regulated or, to ease the situation, or down regulated because you had to control yourself?
Sarah Hagy: Oh, my God. Well, I'm always up regulating, I think. Um, but, uh, I think you're thinking of the, the, I'm kind of a big deal, right? Yes. But there, there isn't something else that happened during COVID.
Sarah Hagy: Um, it was the beginning of COVID and everybody is locked in. Our kids came home. Our two, my two daughters and son came home and everybody was working upstairs. Um, my husband was in his office upstairs. I'm downstairs and then the kids in their bedrooms are working and I'm downstairs and, and it's stressful because you're thinking, you know, what's going on, how long is this going to go for.
Sarah Hagy: But everybody had their [00:12:00] jobs and they're working hard, and I thought it would be great to make a water cooler upstairs. Stairs a water cooler area. So I got a pitcher of water. I got some snacks. I got all sorts of things to mimic a water cooler situation And
Kathy Washburn: like
Sarah Hagy: the office because we all love the office And so we set it, I set it up in the hallway.
Sarah Hagy: So they're all busy working and I set it up in the hallway because I knew, because the, I, I usually sit in the kitchen on the, um, at the counter. And so I see them come in, you know, and sometimes they'll chat and go back upstairs. So I thought, I'm just going to have our little water cooler situation up there.
Sarah Hagy: So I did that and I waited. They all came out pretty much at the same time. They were so amused by it. It, it just made that, you know, the stress of life and, you know, everything. And they started, they got in character talking about Karen [00:13:00] and accounting, and they just went on and on about so and so, you know, and, you know, she's been eating a lot, or So it was just great because Everybody was so amused by it that they really liked it.
Sarah Hagy: So I, I would bring up a pitcher of water and snacks each day. So it was just my way of bringing a little levity to this kind of scary situation. So that was one. But, but, uh, definitely the, the, I'm kind of a big deal pillow that you gave me, helped me so much with, do you want me to share that or?
Sarah Hagy: Yeah. Yeah. when I, we were in Montana together, you gave me a, I'm kind of a big deal pillow. Um, I have it for my birthday, for my, was it my. 20th birthday or something like that. So you have five in there. I'm not sure. 25, five, 25. That's right. That's right. Definitely not 50. [00:14:00] So, um, you gave me that pillow and everybody knows I have a.
Sarah Hagy: fear of flying. I usually have to get very drunk to get on the plane so I was a little nervous at the airport and we were all together but we were all going to be taking our separate flights and you and I ran around with that pillow taking pictures of people holding it because it was so Just that pillow.
Sarah Hagy: It's just the, it's, it's magical. It says I'm, I'm kind of a big deal. So everybody just was like, Oh, okay, sure. Like, give me the pillow. And we took their picture with it saying there I'm kind of a big deal. Right. It was brilliant. Everybody loved it. And then we, I did it with the pilot. I saw the pilot and I'm like, You know, I think you're a, you're a real big deal.
Sarah Hagy: So I need you to hold this. And he's like, thanks so much. And I'm like, you're going to make sure we're safe on our flight home. So as you know, I took that pillow with me when I went to Boston with my daughter. And that pillow brought [00:15:00] such happiness and laughter and smiles to the, the bus driver. We got on the bus and we gave it to him.
Sarah Hagy: I gave it to my heart doctor, um, because he was a big deal, uh, having done an ablation on my heart. So he was like, sure. Okay. It was, it's the greatest thing. So my, I wanted to show you, I forgot to bring it. My dog. Um, chewed at it, because I guess he doesn't think I'm kind of a big deal, but I'm still salvageable, and I still have it in my, um, in my bedroom, because, you know, we're kind of a big deal.
Kathy Washburn: You, you, you are definitely kind of a big deal, and I think, you know, for people, and those, they were such random people Yes. I remember that little, that woman that was pregnant and she just sat the pillow on top of her. Yes. Oh, that's right. And when we walked up to her and said, you know, we kind of think you're a big deal.
Kathy Washburn: Her eyes just lit up. It's like, wow.
Sarah Hagy: Right, right, right. It, uh, it was a powerful, [00:16:00] magical pillow. It really is. oh, I, I forgot to share that. I went to Good Morning America. Oh, great. And I, I have, um, I brought the pillow, of course, this was why I was going to Boston and I mean New York City. And, um, she held the, I'm kind of a big deal.
Sarah Hagy: So we have a picture of her with it, and she got such a big kick out of. She just was like, this is
Kathy Washburn: this is I remember that clip. She you said to her I think you're kind of a big deal and she said no. No, you're a big deal. Yes. Yes, that's right That is a big deal. to be able to bring to use that emotion of amusement to create that levity, especially In times where we can cope, you know, a lot of people and again This is kind of the the foundation of this class Is that we have way more power than we give ourselves and in the way that we can act and react To to the situations around us.
Kathy Washburn: There's this whole concept now called emotional [00:17:00] inflammation and that is when you're just It plays a similar response as post traumatic stress, PTSD, except that it's not, it's not triggered by an event. It's not triggered by one trauma. It's triggered by your surroundings. And right now we're all at some level of emotional inflammation,
Sarah Hagy: where there's
Kathy Washburn: stuff coming at us and we don't feel like we're in control.
Kathy Washburn: There's a very. There's a fear of the future. There's insecurity. we're all running at this like heightened level of fight or flight all the time in our life. So when we are, evoking these positive emotions, either intentionally or when we're having them just taking Some time to savor them it builds up our ability to cope and I think it's a really powerful tool [00:18:00] Amusement for one because it's not only for yourself.
Kathy Washburn: It's for those around you Laughing alone. I don't know about you. I don't do it. Well, I probably do it more than you since I live by myself Yeah, yes. Yes. Yes, but um laughing alone is not as powerful as laughing with other people. And I know that you work in healthcare, and I can't even imagine, the playing field right now there.
Kathy Washburn: But I can imagine you bringing some amusement to that. Do you see a place for amusement? Or is that one of those places where you have to down regulate? Because Oh, never.
Sarah Hagy: Again, I can't down regulate. It's just not possible. I do work with, uh, you know, I go to Area Assisted Livings, um, and I do bring joy to them by, um, bringing a popcorn bar, I call it, and, and I do trivia with them because they love to talk about, um, themselves, you know, [00:19:00] they, I ask them questions and they love to know something and, and they, because they, they're a big deal and they're still a big deal.
Sarah Hagy: And they were once a big deal, but there still are. And so it's fun it's so interesting how a group of Elderly people are, are just like a group of us in high school, you know, there's the, the kid who's, you know, everybody looks up to and, you know, who's pretty much in charge of the group.
Sarah Hagy: I do try to, bring up. Their spirits and and make them feel good. just have to I just have to make them laugh and smile. um, but also I with Maddie with my daughter Maddie, there was I've always done this. And so now I think she expects it. And I feel sorry for whoever takes her to the hospital or to the, you know, emergency room.
Sarah Hagy: Because For a year there, so she was always going to the emergency room for dehydration. the hospital is a stressful place and that situation and, I would be stressed, [00:20:00] but I would try to bring humor into it. And so what I would do for Maddie is, they'd always put you in a cold white room, you know, and put us in there and we're waiting to hear what the doctor has to say, you know, what's wrong.
Sarah Hagy: And so I would do a routine. I would either, um, tap dance. a song and she'd have to name that tune, or I would, you know, sit on that doctor chair that wheels and I'm, I'd get some good speed and I'd wheel bumper cars, bumper to her. I would take the curtains and sweet, you know, do a dance while sitting on this thing, or of course blow up the, The gloves.
Sarah Hagy: And this is when she was, you know, 18 or 17. Just what I do the minute I I'm in that kind of situation with somebody and with Bob Byrd, um, you know, you just have to Bring levity to it and be silly. But Maddie said she's forever scarred because she expects that kind of routine [00:21:00] when she takes herself to the hospital.
Sarah Hagy: But it did a great job of, of calming her down and knee down. You could see just immediately how it would make her feel better.
Kathy Washburn: it's such a powerful emotion. I think, that you also, I always, I also witness you doing this in another way, which is, if you could teach this skill, many, many people would benefit from it, but it's using that levity to get what you need.
Kathy Washburn: And, and by that I mean, it doesn't matter if you're at a hotel and you're checking in, or you're at
Sarah Hagy: a
Kathy Washburn: restaurant, or TJ Maxx, you will never pay full price. Yes, yes. And by the time you finish with these people, It's almost like they're giving it to you for free. Yes, yes. Not because you, there's never any anger.
Kathy Washburn: There's never any, frustration. It's all, it's [00:22:00] hysterical. And even the people are overjoyed. And they're actually, you take them from this point of, I can't help you. The price is the price. Wow, here, you can stay in our penthouse, and wait a minute, hold on, Mrs. Hagey, let me give you some coupons for a free dinner.
Kathy Washburn: I just have never seen anything like it in all my life. We call it the Sarah hangover. Like, after you walk away, they don't even know what happened. What happened? But they're going to be paying for it for days. They're going to have to justify it to their boss. Right. Right. Can you tell us, can you walk us through one of those, like what's happening?
Sarah Hagy: Well, you know, these days you have to be careful because they call us Karen now. They would call me Karen and my kids lately are like, Karen, you know, don't ask to speak to the manager. You
Kathy Washburn: know, tell us about this Karen thing because I had just heard about this the other day for the first time. Where did this come from?
Kathy Washburn: How did this happen?
Sarah Hagy: [00:23:00] Well, unfortunately, I think it's describing a white, soccer mom, you know, that kind of, suburban mom who, is on patrol. What's legal, we'll talk to the manager, talk to the manager's manager.
Sarah Hagy: So I have to be very careful now because it always works well for me. But now I just might be, you know, I don't want to be a Karen because like you said, I'm always using. Levity, you know, I'm, I'm doing it in a silly way, but I'm also, I think what happens is I'm so appreciative of what they give me. That again, makes people feel so good when you, you know, somebody acknowledges and is grateful for what you're doing for them or give them, that makes them feel so good.
Sarah Hagy: And Maddie, my daughter, the other day was on the phone with somebody trying to get a better rate for a hotel. And I was. So proud of her because she had the whole routine. I mean, she's talking to [00:24:00] Mary Lou. She's got her name. They're going to be so there's such friends now that she wants to see her when she comes to stay at the hotel.
Sarah Hagy: Cause she's going to be there during the time Maddie will be at the hotel in Las Vegas. And Maddie got the world. She got the world, but she really, you know, all did it in a silly, sweet way. just like. So yeah, I'm a struggling kid, you know, and I'm I really want to have fun and so it then it just snowballs into that.
Sarah Hagy: It's really
Kathy Washburn: that pro social behavior like evoking that, but I think one of the things that we have to be careful of is that you can't fake it.
Sarah Hagy: Yes. It's not, it's not a fake able thing. It has to be genuine. Exactly. it's just interacting, really. It's just, playful, interacting and, there's always humor in it.
Sarah Hagy: And so it makes them feel good. It makes you feel good. cause you know that you can get [00:25:00] a bigger room or, a discount. There's always that way, but I, I think what we do is in such a playful way that if they really can't, nobody's going to be upset, it's just worth asking for, and then if they want to do it.
Sarah Hagy: they'll throw in something for free just because they, they want to interact with you and, make your day because you're making their day, I think.
Kathy Washburn: Right? And I think it's important to note that you come from a career where you've been a ridiculously, A successful salesperson and partly because of the who you are, but you also know what's possible like, you know the prices of the place whereas That come from a different Way of being they're like wow You make the price really isn't the price like there's some wiggle room there.
Kathy Washburn: Who knew? It's taken me years to actually figure that out through your training But I get proud of myself in those sared somebody [00:26:00] Oh, yes. Right. Ever since you were dating them, but it's staring them instead.
Sarah Hagy: It's, it's a skill and you, I, I think you've done very well.
Kathy Washburn: It's still a practice for me. and that leads us to this question of, you know, as we're trying to grow these emotions, you know, um, people might say, Oh, I'm not funny.
Kathy Washburn: Amusement doesn't come easy to me. what I am trying to. uh, inspire for people is that, you have these emotions all day long. There, there's probably not a day that goes by where you don't laugh at something or smile or, or be amused with something it's, um, really taking the time. To feel it when you have it like wow, you know this morning.
Kathy Washburn: I was walking and a bird was making a nest and I'm laughing even now just thinking about it. The bird was making a nest with trash from the street. So it's it's pulling [00:27:00] this Long wrapper thing and it's and the other bird in the nest is like you can almost hear it saying Get that thing out of here.
Kathy Washburn: What are you thinking? So i'm walking my dog and i'm just laughing Normally, I would just let that wash over me like ha look at that bird. Yeah, right And most people would right right. It's the intention of Yes, really standing there and and the research says 90 seconds Just 90 seconds. Let that experience wash into you, like let it soak into you.
Kathy Washburn: Because that's when you build that new neuropathway, and that will help you cope. You keep building those other ways, it will help you cope. Especially in this time, you know, as I took my eyes off of the bird and look forward, there were 10 people coming at me with masks on and it not always hurts my heart.
Kathy Washburn: You know, it's that reality of,
Sarah Hagy: yes, our situation, our new
Kathy Washburn: world. Yeah. Yes. Yes. [00:28:00] I have that. And like, I can have an amusement moment for 90 seconds. Yes, and I live in this changing world that I feel like i'm a little powerless at times. Yes Yes, are there times that you throughout your day? when you're Allowing yourself to soak it in, or is this something that is just so natural for you, it just kind of floats by?
Sarah Hagy: Well, normally it's natural for me, but I think with today's world, and the sadness, and I do, I am a news junkie. So, um, unfortunately, it can get very depressing, and scary. so I do find that I, I'm looking for things to, to laugh about. And of course, TikTok helps, um, you know, there's just so many amusing things on there.
Sarah Hagy: but I was thinking the other day, I told my kids and they're like, you know, I don't think other people would do this. So I'm laying on the couch. We have a sectional couch and one end [00:29:00] I'm laying on the couch. On the other is my dog Rudy. And he is laying, we always find him amusing, you know, all you have to do is look and see his, you know, or when he wakes up and smushed face on one side, you know, with kind of a bad hair day.
Sarah Hagy: But he was laying there with. His arms and legs in the opposite direction. So, on his back, he was so at peace. I mean, just laying back there, and he had a smile on his face. And my pillow, it says something beach on it, was at his head. It was just so amusing to see him like that. So I thought, I'm gonna do it too.
Sarah Hagy: I mean, this, this looks fabulous. So I laid my, you know, I was laying down. So I just totally laid there just like a spread. He go, you know, my arms, my legs, everything smiled, did his pose. I was so amused by that. It just made me feel so good. I was [00:30:00] like, Rudy, you are right. This is, this is it. So if anybody had walked in, they would have been like, What are you doing?
Sarah Hagy: But it felt good so that you know, i'll just do that just hey, why not try that pose that is
Kathy Washburn: Oh my god, that is brilliant. Thank you Yes it might be one for the privacy of your own home. Yes
Sarah Hagy: Yes You know something else. I did , was, I had to have an MRI and I am claustrophobic and so I had to, um, go in this.
Sarah Hagy: You know, vessel thing. I had so much anxiety about it, but I'm like, oh, you know mindfulness. I can do it I can do it. And so getting me in there was a little tough So I always have to I have to bond with the person. you know that woman who is gonna take me through that journey, so I I always have to, it's funny how I just have to connect with them.
Sarah Hagy: So I connected with her, so I feel a little safe. I'm like, [00:31:00] remember I'm here. Now what happens if you have a heart attack? Will somebody forget I'm in here? You know, Myrna has a heart, nurse Myrna has a heart attack, right? I mean, these are things you have to think about. Who, what's the safety, you know, because who would know I'm in, stuck in this vessel if she's not there to pull me out or whatever.
Sarah Hagy: So I, that gave me a lot of anxiety. So anyway, I'm in there and normally I would, do mindfulness and I started to do that. But then I thought, what makes, calms me down is laughing. So I pretended you, somebody was making me laugh. So I actually said out loud, you are so funny. Oh my God, you're so funny for 20 minutes.
Sarah Hagy: I said, Oh, I was laughing out loud. She must've been like, what is going on in there? But I just, isn't that funny? And I made it through for 20 minutes. Because if you're [00:32:00] laughing, you're not stressed. So I totally laugh, giggled myself silly the whole time. Isn't that fascinating though? How? Just pretending, tricking my brain into thinking that I am in a situation where I'm being totally amused and laughing.
Sarah Hagy: Isn't that fascinating
Kathy Washburn: that It is fascinating, and it's also fascinating, you know, all of our emotions are fleeting, but you can't have You can't be fearful and and hysterically laughing at the same time, you know, there's a dominant You can you can feel the two of them But there is a dominant one and you made the laughter the dominant one in that case, which just equalized it You know, yes, it is so powerful and we're not using them enough and when we do use them, we're not You we're taking them for granted.
Kathy Washburn: They're just leading and floating off of us. So hot [00:33:00] second of holding on to, whatever it is.
Sarah Hagy: Yes. Yes. is this something people learn to do? This is. Yeah,
Kathy Washburn: there's 10 emotions that are the most highly researched, 10 positive emotions that are the most highly researched.
Kathy Washburn: So each one of those amusement being one of them, I do a deep dive, on it and offer different practices and some, you know, one practice is just watching a funny video. Oh, and thankfully here we have in our country, we have. An abundance of, opportunities to
Sarah Hagy: be immune.
Kathy Washburn: I don't know, was it you? Somebody gave me, uh, an entire Johnny Carson, DVD mix when I first got diagnosed with cancer.
Sarah Hagy: Fabulous.
Kathy Washburn: And, uh, there were some nights when, uh, Andrew and I would just, uh, How I'll add it even though like the next day I was, you know, going into chemo or getting surgery or whatever [00:34:00]
Sarah Hagy: Just to take
Kathy Washburn: a half an hour to just laugh silly So those are practice. That is it. Well don't normally do you know we get drawn to Especially right now watching news that is not it's not making us laugh.
Kathy Washburn: No, it's just Creating that emotional inflammation. And so we need some offsets. So this is one of them. I love it I love it. So the final question for you is if I were to Crush you up and put you in a pill form In fact with someone What effect would that take on someone who swallowed it?
Sarah Hagy: Other than gaining weight?
Kathy Washburn: that would be a side
Sarah Hagy: effect.
Kathy Washburn: That's
Sarah Hagy: not true. That's not true. But, um, I would say, You would giggle, giggle a lot, especially in inappropriate, inappropriate times. I think you would just giggle. It would really be [00:35:00] a great drug. It really would.
Kathy Washburn: You know, in your healthcare, in the world that you've lived in, perhaps we could get this capsule.
Kathy Washburn: You know, in capsule form and sell it.
Sarah Hagy: We need it. We need it. Yes. Yes. Yes. I guess that would be it. Just. Finding joy and giggling, you know, but would be yours. Just curious.
Kathy Washburn: Oh, that's so funny I've never actually I was asked this question. I was asked it in Buenos Aires around this table of people that I had just met an hour before that and I was like, oh I think the pill that would be me would be, as soon as they swallowed it, they would find their own inner beauty and be able to share it confidently with the world.
Kathy Washburn: Oh, I love that. Kind of what we're trying to do with people is to share beauty and Yes. Oh, you do that so well. Know that they have it inside them and sometimes it just needs to [00:36:00] be taken out of the backpack and shined up a little.
Sarah Hagy: Oh, I love that. That's you. That's you. And I've
Kathy Washburn: taken your pill also. You make me laugh.
Kathy Washburn: Thanks, Gab. Thank you, Sarah. I really appreciate your time.