A guest post from Nicole.
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I experienced morning sickness during both of my pregnancies. The nausea was not extreme but it was ever-present during the entire 9 months. One day during my second pregnancy I was outside with my not quite 2-year-old son. At that moment I was self-absorbed with the yucky feeling of nausea.
My son started saying the word “happy”. He was clearly happy. He was adeptly expressing his feelings as fully as any toddler could verbally by repeating the word “happy” over and over again.
As you can imagine it made me smile and I felt happy to see and hear him being so happy. His expression was delightful. At that moment I noticed how happy I actually was despite the morning sickness. I had much to be happy about and grateful for not the least of which was the son in front of me and the soon to be born daughter inside my protruding belly. 
I made the connection that though I had the yucky feeling of morning sickness, I was simultaneously smiling and happy. It wasn’t the first time by any means. What was different was my awareness of the two states of being co-existing. With this awareness I then found that it became easier to shift my state of consciousness at will. If I found myself diving haphazardly into pity or other negative feelings it became easier to shift into reverse and lift myself up to smiling and being happy.
Feeling justified in our negative emotions is an all too easy trap – after all it’s no fun experiencing nausea 24/7 for nine months. We can choose to believe we have a right to feel bad due to our circumstances. Or we can remember that while we may not be able to choose our circumstances, we can choose how we react to them – and choose to be happy. Fifteen years ago I chose to be happy and smile. I have never regretted that choice!
Nicole DeAvilla, E-RYT 500, is the author and creator of The 2 Minute Yoga Solution FAST and EASY Stress and Back Pain Relief for ANYONE at ANYTIME. She wrote the book and created the 2 Minute Yoga programs and Yoga Club to help people be happy, healthy and successful. She often prescribes smiles.
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