Joy to the World

December has been a month of slowing down, reflecting interpersonally, taking stock of what has occurred over the past year and what is yet to evolve into the next.

What perfect timing it was to snuggle and play with our canine family as part of watching a friend's home for a week. It also happened to be the coldest and boldest snow storm Washington State had seen all year. While the lonely space heaters kept the boat pipes from freezing in the marina, we were lounging on a lambswool in front of our island friend's wood stove.

Power went out at least 4 times at the marina throughout the month, mostly due to high winds and poor weather conditions. Not a worry when you have a generator, diesel heater, oil lamps and a full water tank. As a little girl, I can remember being super excited whenever the power went out in the house. It was quiet. Astonishingly so. I didn't realize the background buzz of all things appliance or electronic. Until they were no longer accessing the grid. It felt peaceful and creative. Glamping before glamping was a thing.

One day, I crossed paths with a friend who has his sailboat a few slips down from ours at the marina and he shared with me about his dream from the night before. Interestingly, the thread of content he shared was a very similar thread to dreams I had been having the past week as well. As a dream teacher and workshop facilitator, I always enjoy sharing dreams. Sleeping on the water has been quite an accelerator for both quality sleep and dreaming. Our dreams were a bit ominous and dark.

And so I wonder, how do you do it? Radiate joy in a world that is in the midst of an existential crisis?

Have you seen the videos out there where people start laughing in a public area like a bus stop or on a subway (on purpose) and before too long, other people can't keep themselves from laughing? It is beautifully absurd. Did you know that even slightly turning your lips upwards into a barely visible smile (i like to call it a pre-smile) to a full on smile changes your brain chemistry?

From Aultman.org:

Let’s start with the brain chemistry. Smiling activates tiny molecules in your brain that are designed to fend off stress. These molecules, called neuropeptides, facilitate communication between neurons in your brain. Also, when you smile, your brain releases dopamine, endorphins and serotonin. These neurotransmitters are associated with lowering your anxiety and increasing feelings of happiness. In fact, serotonin is often the chemical that anti-depressant medications attempt to regulate. This natural, feel-good chemical cocktail that your brain serves up helps you feel happier and more relaxed, and it can even lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

If that wasn’t enough, how would you like to be more attractive? You don’t have to plan any exercise routine or put on fancy clothing – all you have to do is put on a smile. A study at a Scotland University found that those who smiled and made eye contact were consistently rated higher on the attractiveness scale than those who didn’t.

We’ve all heard that smiling is contagious, but is that just an old cliché or is it true? The part of your brain that aides in smiling when happy or mimicking someone’s smile resides in an unconscious automatic response area. In other words, smiling truly is contagious. When someone smiles at you, you are behaviorally and psychologically conditioned to return the favor. Or when you’re feeling happy, you have to make a conscious effort to suppress the smile that unconsciously wants to spread across your face. And when smiling boosts your mood, makes you more attractive and can easily spread to others, why would you want to?

Regardless of how you’re feeling today, try putting on a smile and seeing how it affects your internal and external experience. You might be pleasantly surprised. It might even put another smile on your face.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201206/there-s-magic-in-your-smile