#8: 50 Life Secrets and Tips

I must admit, I did smile when I saw #8. This tip couldn't have come at a more perfect time.

Smile more often. Whenever you get a grin on your face, your brain is releasing serotonin, the happy hormone. Smiling is the natural way to force yourself to be happy. Many people even smile for five minutes straight in the morning to get themselves in a great mood for the day. It is a very powerful tool that is utilized less and less as we grow older and need happiness more than ever. Just remember that while happiness leads to smiles, smiles also lead to happiness.

Look at that perfect cycle! Happiness leads to smiles, just like smiles lead to happiness! The holidays are the 'most wonderful time of the year,' but they can also be some of the most emotional times. We look at those who are present in our lives, those who are far away, those who are temporarily absent, and those who are forever gone. We look at chapters closed and projects that have gathered dust. The start of the new year can also be very moving as we purge the old and open our minds to the new. Heck - with all of this movement in our lives and deep thinking, we may forget to stop and smell the roses (and smile!). The anticipation built up around the close of 2011, and then around the beginning of 2012 sometimes makes me want to crawl into a hole. SO much to take in. But it is in these moments of avoidance and resistance that I sink into no-smiling mode, and my mood is definitely directly affected by that (and vice versa).


That being said... SMILE! :D Think about the possibilities (for this very moment and even for the days ahead) and recognize that you are creating your own reality every single moment. Being sad isn't a reality unless you let it be! With the flick of a switch, you can shake off whatever negative emotion you are feeling and try out happiness instead. (But you have to truly want to be happy for this 'trick' to work. I have definitely said I wanted to be happy, but really just wanted to sulk in misery. Bad move.) Watch your favorite movie, dance around to some awesome music, cuddle up with a good book, try a new recipe, get some exercise, watch a funny cat video (if you're into that... like me), call an old friend. There are endless ways to bring a smile to your face. Somehow it's easy to forget the infinite opportunities when we are deep in our sad caves of resistance. I'm so happy to put this out into the universe so that I can be reminded to smile and all of the reasons why I should! "Every end is a new beginning" - 'new' anything is exciting and reason to smile!


Here is a song that ALWAYS makes me smile from a movie that makes me really happy...