Last week I did a presentation about Happiness for the Silicon Valley Sunday Assembly. If you are unfamiliar with Sunday Assembly, I humbly suggest that you look it up. It’s just like church, but just without religion. That way everyone is welcome and no one feels like an outsider. It is not anti-religion, rather religion -free. Video is still being edited but, I’ll pop that baby up on the good old You Tube channel as soon as I get it. In the mean time, you can watch me and Jeff Probst J-U-M-P-I-N-G in Hollywood during the premier of Survivor. Yep, got to hang out all night. He’s been on a medical mission with Operation Smile, too. Dopey me I forgot to tell him I had too. There I was nervous and trying to think up things to say, and I went and forgot the obvious!
If you read my last post you know I’ve been feeling sad lately, that very sad things are happening in my life. So, by golly, it’s the perfect time to turn my attention toward happiness. As part of my talk, I spoke about smiling as a tool to help elevate your mood when you’re feeling down.
Smiling when you’re feeling blue, actually modifies your neural processing. Your brain’s circuitry happiness is activated when you smile. EVEN if it’s a fake or forced smile. Charles Darwin said, “Even the simulation of an emotion, tends to arouse that emotion.” And Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
I can attest to how well this works from my own life. It’s not all sunshine and lollipops for me just because I’m the Smiley Lady. In fact, right now, for my family is a time of deep sorrow. But I’m trying to smile. To let smiling help me to get thru what is really hard stuff. I’m in charge of telling myself how to act. I can decide to act in ways that I know will help me feel happier,
I can decide to smile even if I don’t want to, especially if I don’t want to. To quote me. “When I am in a place of sadness, I can doubt that smiling will work, while simultaneously knowing that it will.”
Smile though your heart is aching. Smile even though it’s breaking.
Smile. Be happy. Be happier!
Ruth
P.S.: I’m smiling! Just got home from a very good visit with my shrink (hope that’s not disrespectful to call him that, as I hold him in very high regard!!!) and what do I see? Five, count ’em five, Smiley submissions in my in-box! WooHoo! I’ll get them up as soon as I grab a bite to eat; I’m starving.
BTW, no shame in going to see a counselor! Everybody should do it!
In case you’d like to sing along with Nat King Cole
(Today’s birthday boy-3/17) the lyrics are right below the video.
Smile though your heart is aching.
Smile even though it’s breaking.
When there are clouds in the sky
you’ll get by.
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll see the sun come shining through
For you.
Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness.
Although a tear may be ever so near
That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what’s the use of crying.
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile-
If you just smile.
That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what’s the use of crying.
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile-
If you just smile.
Music by Charles Chaplin, Lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parson