It’s ‘who’ you are with that makes it great.

During my thirties I started to notice that on the rare and infrequent meet-ups with my funniest friends, the muscles in the back of my head and neck would cramp up and hurt quite badly, often shortly into our visits.

This feeling of pain initially caused a bit of panic and bewilderment, as it seemed that there was something very wrong. It usually became evident after about 20 minutes that the cause of these painful episodes was simply the result of ‘over-laughing’ for extended periods of time.

Multiple minutes of continuous laughter = excessive head / neck pain

During one of these occurrences I was struck with a terrifying and demoralizing thought.

My laughter muscles are weak from lack of training! Have I turned into a serious old grown up?

Aaahhhh!

This upsetting conclusion actually forced me to reflect on my time, the company I keep, and how I might remedy this very sad conundrum.

It was my buddy Brett’s recent reminder about how all experiences are much more about the ‘who you are with’ that makes them great, rather than the extravagance, the location, or any other one factor.

In the years following the laughter revelation I have become much more intentional about putting myself in situations and around people who are sure to make me laugh. I even include ‘laugh’ as one of my daily scorecard items, to ensure that I follow through.

Get intentional about more frequently making your head hurt by putting the right ‘whos’ around you.

• Now that’s a peak ethos.