Monday, April 28, 2014

The Kindness of "Have a Happy Day"

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."
― Abraham Lincoln

I like to wish people a good day or a nice day, but this morning, a woman I did not know in an elevator wished me a "happy" day.  And it got me thinking... what would it look like to have a happy day?  To approach everything -- most things -- with a happy attitude -- even the challenges?  As I thought about it, it seemed that putting a smile on my face would be a good first step, which reminded me of a woman I wrote about a while back who signs her e-mails "smiles."  None of these approaches is a quick fix, but I do think they can serve as reminders to us, as habits to cultivate.  And just as with laughter yoga, once you begin feigning laughter, real laughter comes.  I suspect (and I believe the happiness literature supports) that if we make an effort to be happy, which probably necessitates some gratitude, we can raise our happiness quotient.  I am willing to give it a try.  My attempt may not last more than a couple of hours, but I appreciate this woman's putting the notion in my head nonetheless.  Have a happy day J!

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