My mindfulness challenge for you this week is to smile each and every time you see a reflection of yourself in a mirror or perhaps even in a windowpane. Invite yourself to smile if the image that you see of yourself shows a person who is sad or neutral in their expression.
You may say to yourself,
“What just a minute Rodgers, you’re telling me that if I’m feeling really low and down in the dumps I’m supposed to pretend as though I’m happy, I have to put a happy face on? That’s not genuine and I’m a person who thinks it’s important to be truthful about who we are and how we are feeling.”
I say to you that is all well and good. I honor you for that authenticity. However, what we have discovered is that forcing smiles transforms moods.
There is a technology known as Laughter Yoga which really consists of people sitting around a circle who are laughing. Jokes are not even a part of this therapy. People literally just force themselves to laugh. When they start the exercise I can assure you everyone is not feeling in a positive mood. When they finish, everyone is elated with how good they actually feel. Forcing smiles through forced laughter does transform moods.
When I walk down the sidewalks in downtown Olympia, I pass many people. I can assure you that when I pass by an individual who has a smile on their face, I feel yummy inside. It really transforms whatever mood state I might currently be in. I also know that when I walk in downtown Olympia, Washington with a smile on my face, each person that I pass by also has a transformation and they begin smiling as well. I affect others and I also have a profound impact on myself.
So again, to repeat, each time you see an image of yourself, whether in a mirror or a reflection in a window or any reflection – even if it is in water – look at yourself and smile. You’ll be amazed at what difference it can make with how you are feeling in the moment. Become mindful of your smiling acuity. It will make a difference on how you get through each and every day.
May you have a fun filled week with a smiling grim on your face.
Robert
© Parkinsons Recovery