May 19 seems like the perfect day for the launch of my new book Speaking to Yourself with Love: Transform Your Self-Talk. It’s the beginning of a long weekend, when true spring hits, and all is renewed. There are blooms, there’s more light, and tons of hope for an easier time everywhere. This is a good time of year to lighten things up.

That’s my intention with my new book: to bring hope, light and lightness to everyone who feels ready for a new beginning. Here is a story and a self-talk tool from my book that I’d like to share with you about making your inner speech lighter:

One day, my friend had a headache and went into a supermarket to buy water with which to take aspirin. She slipped on the wet floor and fell, smashing her head badly enough that they had to call an ambulance. Nothing funny there, you think? Well, when she told me the story, we both burst out laughing when we realized that if she had a headache going into the store, it was nothing compared to the headache she had going out. We saw a very funny twist in it.

Is there a story you are telling yourself about something in your life that could use a little lightening up? Let’s see if you can bring levity to it with your self-talk.

Pick a situation you are dealing with in your life that you don’t find especially funny.

Write it down.

Now see how you can lighten it up.

Is there anything about it that can be comical? Amusing? Ironic? Even strange?

What can you say that will bring a little levity to the way you talk to yourself about it? Maybe there is something funny about the way you handled it, or the drama you are bringing to the situation, or how worked up you are about it.

Rewrite your story with its new comical twist.