Smile first – Happiness follows
I just ran across a blog post by Dr Patsi Krakoff, www.brain-fx.com, who referenced a study by Robert Zajonc. The
study found that the physical act of smiling brings about physiological changes
that will make you feel happy – Smile first and happy follows.
My only resolution this year is to feel good (happy) more
often so it was serendipitous to run across this when I did. I have been thinking about what makes me feel
happy and it’s interesting to think that it can be as simple as smiling more
often.
The whole idea reminded me of an old audio tape I had years ago with a
meditation on it by the Buddist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. I couldn’t find my tape
but through an internet search I was able to find the exact words of the
meditation and the source:
“Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment. Breathing out, I know it is a
wonderful moment.” From The
Blooming of a Lotus: Guided Meditation Exercises for Healing and Transformation
The concept has been around for awhile and it’s good to see
science catching up. I have been experimenting lately with this simple act of
smiling whenever I think of it and I can really feel the shift each time. I’ve reminded myself to smile at least a half
dozen times while writing this post – can you feel it? What might smiling bring to your business
or creative endeavors?
