When was the last time you really just smiled? A true smile with nothing in it but a pleasant feeling. When was the last time you really enjoyed yourself? Forgot all worries, fears, problems and just relaxed and had fun! Not lost in a T.V serial or some other such thing but was fully present, in the moment and liked it.
3 days back? A week back? A month back? Or don't you remember?
Yes, you've heard it enough times and yes it sounds like a cliche but smile and the world does smile with you!! It's true.
It's not that complicated to turn your day around and have a good time. Everyone has problems, the world is full of problems. And you'll find a million reasons why you cannot be happy right now. But you can also find a million reasons why you can.
Ever been lost in some thought and someone smiled at you on the street? Or maybe you saw a happy baby. Or maybe you read something nice or saw something beautiful, like a sunset. Do you remember how light you felt suddenly? How things didn't seem all that bad anymore?
It's such a simple example but it shows that being happy and feeling good has a lot to do with what goes on inside. The situation hadn't changed, the problem didn't go away but that little something, which was simple and beautiful, changed your inner being and all of a sudden you were feeling better.
You see most of our lives are a series of habits. From how you brush your teeth and eat your food to how you talk and dress to what you do and what you think about. It's just a series of habits. To have a good life you've got to have good habits. It's that simple.
That doesn't mean it's easy though. If you have ever tried to start getting up even half an hour earlier than you usually do, you know what I mean. It's tough yes, but you've got to shut that stupid voice in your head that comes up with every form of conceivable excuse and just get up! That's the key - you've just got to do it.
And after a week or two it's so damn easy.
That's what smiling is. A habit. That's what thinking healthy thoughts is. A habit. That's what getting results, doing the right thing, living a good life is. A habit!
So how do you go about forming the habit of smiling? Don't worry, you don't have to plaster your lips up into an upward curve. Just surround your self with things that make you smile!
Paste your bedroom walls with photos of those you love, babies, nature, funny pictures, cartoons, jokes, sayings - anything that makes you feel good. Do the same in your work place. Get a colorful pen holder, get a nice notebook, wear nice clothes, subscribe to a good magazine. We greatly underestimate how much of a difference little things make.
Say nice things to people, compliment them, encourage them - it makes you feel good to make others feel good and pretty soon they'll start doing the same for you. Put a reminder on your phone for every hour or two that says 'Smile smile smile!!!' And make it a point to smile each time.
Make a list of 100 things that make you feel good, of all that you're grateful for, no matter how small. Read it through every time you feel down. And make sure you smile.
Put one evening aside every week for yourself. Make it a point to relax, forget about everything and just have fun, whether it's a night out with friends or alone time with a good book.
Give yourself a hug.
Make funny faces in the mirror.
It doesn't matter what you do, just make it a point to make you smile!! After all, you are your own best friend. How can you expect others to make you feel good if you yourself don't?
After a while you'll start noticing that you can focus on your work better, time with your family is more relaxed and enjoyable, that it's easier to deal with your problems, good ideas seem to come out of nowhere and all of a sudden your life is a whole lot better than it was!!
It's a cliche, it's repeated more than enough and it's going to be repeated for ages to come. But it's true. Smile and the world smiles with you.
*I want to send articles to a newspaper. Please critic on how such an article should be. Does it help? Make you feel good? Make you feel like yes you can do it? Thank you!!:)*
