THURSDAY THEME: POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE "During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."
How can smiling and laughter improve our health?
Dr. Kathleen Hall, author of Alter Your Life, says that researchers believe that 50 percent of our happiness and optimism comes from a predisposition or our genes. However, “there is around 50 percent of happiness that is determined by our attitudes, behaviors, and values,” says Hall. Recent research revealed “that optimistic individuals reduced their risk of death by 50 percent over the nine years of the study.”
People who laugh not only have a more positive mood, but they have increased energy, less anxiety, and less stress. Think about the last time you were in a great conversation with someone and you both were hysterically laughing. Remember that feeling following the conversation where you said "Man, I needed that".
Every time you smile, you release more serotonin and endorphins, which are our “happy hormones.” This can improve your energy, your immune system, and reduce your stress.
How can this affect other people?
If Jon, your boss, is having a bad day then yells at Jenny for making a minor mistake on a project, then Jenny goes home frustrated and takes it out her children. Her children then become upset and stressed. The next day at school they start bullying other students and causing a ruckus on campus. If you are paying attention to the trend then you see this cycle will continue until one happy person comes along and breaks the chain. This is why being happy and smiling not only affects your life, but all the people you associate with everyday. What if you were the one to smile at Jenny before she went home to her children?
What techniques can I develop to smile more?
* Take a 3x5 notecard and write "MY HAPPINESS IS RIGHT NOW!". Place this notecard in a place where you will constantly see it to remind you of being happy in the moment.
* Take a "happy lap"! Walk around your office, neighborhood, mall, or grocery store and begin to smile at each person you make eye contact with. Especially focus on smiling at someone who you know is having a stressful day or tough times.
* Constantly have pictures of the things that make you happy
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