When I was younger someone told me: if given the option of getting upset, or laughing, always choose laughing - especially when this is at your own expense. And I’ve found this true in so many different occasions. A good laugh can instantly erase hours of frustration, or days of resentment, or even weeks of stress.

The other day, I was driving towards yet another early meeting, which would kick off yet another long, demanding day. Stuck in traffic and frustrated at the thousands of other people who thought they had a right to the road at this God-forsaken hour, I called Jenny to tell her I would be late to our meeting. She didn’t answer, so I left her a message, telling her that I was a bit behind, but would be there in a few short minutes. Then I hung up.

Except that my hands-free wireless headset (Sony Ericsson HBH-608) for some reason didn’t end the call when I hit the utility button. So, thinking the call was ended, I resumed my regular practice of rocking out to my iPod-integrated-stereo, and singing along to the tunes which resonate in my soul. (That day’s pick, The Old 97’s, Drownin’ in the Days). About 90 seconds into the song, I heard a nice woman tell me that I had reached the maximum limit for my message, and it was at this point that I realized that the call had been on-going, and that mine and Rhett’s duet had been captured on some digital voice mail server somewhere in Cingular-Land.

Here was the moment of truth. Do I commit the knee-jerk reflex and delete the message, thus evading all embarrassment? Or do I save and send the message, so that Jenny (who’s also had a long week) could enjoy a laugh at my expense? I chose to send the message, which had the desire effect of bringing a smile to Jenny’s day. Incidentally, it ended up bringing a smile to the day of each individual in the entire office as well, as she played it over, and over, and over.

Next time you find yourself looking face-to-face with embarassment, think about if it’s really worth getting upset about, or if there’s a good laugh to be had. Because a good laugh will always make you feel better.