Gordon Clay here. Have you heard the expression "Someday we'll laugh about this?" Why wait? It usually takes less than seven days for people to violate 90 percent of their New Year's resolutions. The next seven days gives us all a chance to remember the art of laughing at ourselves. This time tickles the yoke and joke of perfectionism while encouraging people to strive for excellence at the same time. This week is a great way to start the new year - laughing at the humorous human condition.

Woody Allen once said "Most of the time I don't have much fun. The rest of the time I don't have any fun at all." We can all relate to what Woody had to say. Fun is often suspect. Fun is a waste of time. It's frivolous. It's for kids.

We don't expect to have fun, and we don't deserve fun. We don't laugh much either. There just isn't time for it. Too much to do, too many appointments. Fun is small talk, I need to cut to the chance. Get my work done.

There is an inherent melancholia that is pervasive in work addicts. From a young age, humor was not valued.

The way we laugh, what we laugh at, and when we laugh are things of self-disclosure. Our humor is based on our needs, on our self-images; our humor is deadly serious.

For some, humor is suspect; laughter a time waster. Humor, we sometimes think, is a cover-up.

It is also possible that humor gives us freedom. It can enable us to deal with things that matter to us, things that may be painful, distasteful, or sad. Sometimes we need to laugh in order to say good-bye - or hello.

Let humor bloom. Laughter lets down your guard and lets you ask the hard questions. Have a happy and humorous New Year.