Celebrating People Doing the Hard Work!

A few months ago the Arizona Center for Cancer Care reached out and asked me to come speak at their annual retreat. Given my background, meaning my father died of cancer 30 years ago, I didn’t hesitate in my response. Then, typical of me, I set out to research what I’d said yes to! 

It’s no accident that the leaders here sought out someone known for bringing laughter where we least expect it to speak at their annual retreat. Their mission is “Care for our patients. Care for each other.” And this year’s theme is humor and play! I was envisioning the planning meeting that led to them hiring me. 

“Let’s give our people a day at a spa!”

“Yes, and, let’s give them more than a hot stone massage and poached salmon!”

“Yes, and, let’s give them food for thought, laughter and tools for a better quality of life when they are not at a spa!”

“Yes, and who knows someone who can do that?”

At least that’s how it went in my mind, with “yes, and” being so popular now. In case you didn’t see the recent article in NY Times, even the Silicon Valley 1% are tapping into Improv to help them with world domination. 

But back to bringing laughter to people you care about! I’m thrilled to be heading to Scottsdale in a few weeks to give the gift of laughter to this dedicated medical community that has a whole “cancer center without walls,” approach that encompasses 55 local offices rather than one place you have to go to. The whole cancer fight is stressful enough, I love that they don’t want commuting in 120 degree temps to be something else to overcome. 

Preparing for this talk has me thinking about a lot of ideas, like what are the most important tools I can share in an hour? Bbut also, if a group of oncologists believe that laughter can help their patients and practitioners, imagine what it can do for those who aren’t fighting a deadly disease? Consider the impact shared laughter can have when you’re not worried about dying. When you just want people to get along better, trust each other and look forward to collaborating?  When you want to celebrate them for staying the course, for riding the vicissitudes of big business. (And I just got to use the word vicissitude accurately in a sentence! I don’t play Words with Friends but that doesn’t mean I don’t support you!) 

All this to say, it might seem crazy to think about in 100 degree heat, but why not get ahead of the holiday celebration panic? Me and the team at Laughter On Call can definitely help you do this! This Labor Day weekend as you sit under a real umbrella sipping a drink with a paper umbrella in it, or hide out in your air conditioned living room or anywhere with a fan, please know that there is help out there for you to run an original, unforgettable and valuable experience. No drink minimum. 

To make it even easier, here's a link to at least start the conversation. No pressure, no commitment. I’m all ears, no tears. Or fears. Or sneers, leers….I’ve clearly got a word game thing going on today. And I'll make it easier for you, click here and we'll talk.