Find the better way
When stress takes over, most people double down. They work harder, worry more, and hold their breath until the tension passes. My friend Tim Gard learned a better way…he laughed.
Tim was in a high-stress human services job where mistakes meant people could go hungry. He realized that if he didn’t find a release, he’d burn out. So, he started to use humor as a daily reset. Not jokes to hide behind, but laughter to bring perspective. Humor didn’t erase the problems. It made them manageable.
Tim Gard is a Hall of Fame keynote speaker known for combining humor with practical lessons on resilience, productivity, and stress reduction. Before launching his speaking career, he served in the Navy, worked in sales, and investigated fraud for state and federal agencies—giving his stories real depth and authenticity.
As leaders, we face moments that drain us: deadlines, meetings, constant change. Stress has a way of shrinking our world until all we can see is the problem. Humor reopens it. It gives us breathing room and lets us see what’s still right.
Tim calls negativity “psychic vampires.” They drain energy from teams, projects, and progress. You can’t always avoid them, but you can stop feeding them. A quick laugh, a shift in tone, even a simple acknowledgment can reset the energy in a room.
The Power of Laughter
There’s science behind it. Laughter reduces cortisol, the stress hormone, and boosts dopamine, the feel-good chemical. But it also does something deeper—it connects us. You can’t truly laugh with someone without creating a small bridge of understanding. That bridge is where leadership happens.
Tim once told a story about making a mistake on stage—mixing up a leader’s name during a keynote. The company didn’t hide it. They embraced it, turning it into an inside joke and even printing “Ask Frank” buttons when the leader’s name was really Bob. What could have been embarrassment became a shared laugh and part of the company culture.
Humor doesn’t mean ignoring pain or pretending things are fine. It means remembering that life is short and laughter is a form of love. As Tim said, “Laughter is probably the strongest, most powerful thing next to love that we can experience.”
Humor is resilience in disguise. It doesn’t deny pain; it reframes it. When everything feels heavy, laughter lightens the load just enough to move forward. Soldiers tell jokes in foxholes. Patients laugh in hospital rooms. Leaders crack a smile when the plan falls apart. Humor reminds us that while we can’t always control what happens, we can control how we respond…and that choice builds strength.
When pressure mounts, remember his rule: don’t burn out…burn bright.
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