A few years ago, I stopped to complement a 20-something friend who seemed to smile more than most people. His response startled me, and offered me a new path to follow.
"When I wake up each morning, before even opening my eyes," he said, "I start to smile. I know that if I wake up smiling, that it will set the direction for my day." When I mentioned this to his wife, she was amazed. "I never knew that he woke up smiling, on purpose! Whenever I see him smiling with his eyes still closed, I wake up happy."
Topher’s habit quickly became my own. And now, I wake up smiling almost every day.
How may times do you smile during the day? How many times do you laugh? Studies show that a child under the age of five laughs up to 300 times a day. They’re like a walking laugh-box. By contrast. an adult laughs only 15 times a day. Some adults never laugh!
A true smile, one that emerges from the heart, will send blood to all the ells in the body and creates a state of harmony throughout the body. It creates a chemical change that organizes and focuses your engergy, and sends a spark to everything around you, opening up the possibility for change to occur.
How many times do you smile a day? And why? I’d love to know.
Super Post Alexia,
What???? Deliberate happiness! Why – I have never heard of such a thing! Such a simple thing to make a huge positive change in my day and life. And I could see it at the very suggestion! I am Soooooooooo happy right now. Blessings X 10 X 10 for Alexia today. I love you! Alaways will too!
I would add a Deepak twist. Last thing at night in bed. First thing in the morning. This will multiply the blessing way beyond 2X. Time my new smile!
(To multiply the following blessing, read aloud.)
Let us daily increase in: wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity.
Blessings X 10,
Ed
Alexia Parks, Author of RAPID Evolution, 10 Golden Rules That Guide Loving Families, An American GULAG and more. See: RapidEvolution.org
Yes, I like the multiplier effect X 10 X 10. And yes, your affirmations work! Got to rescue parakeets in cage outside … from sudden wind!
P.S.
Blessings X 10 for ruffled parakeets!
(To multiply the following blessing, read aloud.)
Let us daily increase in: wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity.
Blessings X 10,
Ed
Update on Happiness Multiplier!
I just got back from declaring my gratitude for Alexia to the world at gratitudelog.com – While there I added another happiness multiplier which requires little time. Vocally (even if quietly) express gratitude while smiling. The power of this practice will change the world with only one doing it. What will be the effect of two doing it? I cannot recall a happier moment in my entire life. I’m sooooo excited.
(To multiply the following blessing, read aloud.)
Let us daily increase in: wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity.
Blessings X 10,
Ed
Alexia Parks, Author of RAPID Evolution, 10 Golden Rules That Guide Loving Families, An American GULAG and more. See: RapidEvolution.org
The ruffled parakeets, were indeed caught in a sudden blast. They’re happily indoors now, and falling asleep in their cage after their big adventure. Indoors, I’m training them to fly free (with dogs outdoors). They fly from one end of the house to the other; then hop back inside their cage after about 30 minutes of exercise.
And yes, I like the idea of expressing gratitude with a smile. Logged on to gratitudelog.com to test it out. Thanks!
Flash!
Back to the very first sentence for yet another lesson. Alexia, you have set off an incredible chain reaction by your simple choice to pay a simple compliment to our other. Blessings for all life to come!
Yumi,
After seeing your smiling face here so often it is difficult to imagine a Yumi that is not smiling. Now you have destroyed my illusion.
(To multiply the following blessing, read aloud.)
Let us daily increase in: wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity.
Blessings X 10,
Ed
smiling at birds, at things innocent children do, at clouds, at winds, at people on the street who smile back, at thinking of silly me, at goofy stuff i do. Smiling at silly humans, goofy humans, who don't care how it looks. Games, I smile at games, the fun kind people place, like when the man at the donation door to Goodwill asks me if i need a loan, or the guy at the herb store asks me if I have a million dollars in my laptop bag( maybe!).
I smile to think of my own death which will come someday, and how much time I spent in my life resisting that fact..
I smile thinking of my once baby bro's, and how…we were all innocents once, still are inside…
i smile at my daughter, my precious one, now fab young woman with awesome abilities. She always could make me laugh.
I smile…at the tuba noise made by humans…God's little joke on us.
: D
Alexia, I have no idea how many times I smile a day, but I do know the answer is: not enough!
I think I’ll start waking up with a smile from now on.
Alexia…Smiles…laughing too…they seem to be a pair, I tend to think.
The times I have most needed smiles, often the kind of smile I have had to start with is a closed mouth Buddha smile, where you just turn up the corners of your mouth.
Because sometimes, those smiles have been hard to generate, when I’ve felt most down, and this gives the same feeling inside, even tho’ often it can be hard to do at those times.
Hee hee ha ha…because aren’t smiles about humor, ultimately?
opening a channel for the laughter to come out…ho ho ho, angels fly because guess why, love Lisa
Alexia Parks, Author of RAPID Evolution, 10 Golden Rules That Guide Loving Families, An American GULAG and more. See: RapidEvolution.org
Yes, smiles are about humor … and about not getting bogged down in the details of living. In fact, most comics use difficult times from their own lives and flip them over to find the humor.
I also smile when I’m filled with gratitude about something, or someone; and I also smile, like you, to lift my spirits.
And once, I rushed downtown to do something, without looking in the mirror, or thinking about what I was wearing. Caught off guard, I decided to smile my way out of it. Amazingly, I had the best day ever. People seemed only to notice my smile and respond to it, not what I was wearing. Not that I hadn’t combed my hair!
fantastic.
Wish you love, peace and happiness.
Trisha
That's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that story.
I don't know how many times I smile a day but I know what makes me smile…
That I am alive and have all of my needs met.
When I see a new born baby.
When I see a child smile and laugh.
Peace and Blessings!
Thanks gain for your post! It made me smile and tear up!
smile, waooooooo, i think i was born with it. What i dont like is to see people with a face that you want to hide in a bag even when you smile at them.