(Photo: John Morgan)
Picture it. There’s only one Twinkie left in the entire world and it’s all yours. That soft, golden delight is yours for the taking. Imagine the happiness you’d feel biting into it. Wouldn’t that just change the flow of the rest of your day? If you’re not a Twinkie lover (don’t say you’re not), just bear with me or pretend you’re on a fancy Sandals beach resort sipping on Piña Coladas and you have absolutely no worries in life. Now, how happy are you? I bet you’re feeling good. Didn’t that put a smile on your face?
Now, back to reality. We all know this already, but shit happens. You girlfriend or boyfriend breaks up with you. You lose your phone. Your tire pops on the highway. You lose your job. Your teenager wrecks your new car. Bad stuff happens and it’s a part of life. I like to consider myself a positive-thinking type of person, but realistically-speaking, these things do happen.
In the moment, these things frustrate us and confuse us, and even make us question our faith. They even make us feel helpless and like we have no control over anything. However, these feelings are typically a default response – a response we can change in an instant, either on our own or through the help of another. Ever had one of those conversations with a friend where you started off venting about your day and ended the conversation rolling on the floor? That’s an example of an external change, but you can do this internally too.
It only requires one simple movement to reverse those negative or complacent feelings.
Smile!
Turn that frown upside down!
I know you’ve probably heard it before, but this has done wonders for me. I’ve gone through many ups and downs in the past few years, and this one simple thing has brought me out of many a rut. There have been times where I’ve driven home from work pissed off as I don’t know what and ready to fight any willing challenger. Then, I remember to smile. Even if I force a smile, and I mean a full smile, that small, simple act itself changes how I feel inside, sometimes more than others. Yes, my physiology changes my psychology. Rather than being super pissed off and ready to fight, I might just be angry, yet calm. Or rather than thinking of someone as Satan Incarnate, I may change my view of them to the Village Idiot. Sometimes, smiling makes me literally laugh out loud, either because of the situation or because I just feel weird about making myself smile.
There are a lot of other variables that can affect your current circumstances, so I can’t say that a smile is going to make an improvement in how you feel, but it can make a dent. Feel free to give it a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Here’s a couple quick smiling facts (according to A. Barbour, author of Louder Than Words):
- 72% of people think of those who smile frequently as being more confident and successful.
- 86% of people say that they are more likely to strike up conversations with strangers if they are smiling.
So, now are you ready to give it a try? The next time you’re feeling blue or bored, or downright PO’d, stop for a moment and smile. If you need some help, look below at my adorable kittens:
(my kittens at 4 months old)
Did this post put you on an emotional roller-coaster? What physical action makes you feel better when you’re feeling down or upset?
