Happiness Runs

Happiness Runs

Do you know why I encourage us to have a gratitude practice? Do you know why I encourage us to look for the good? Or to find the gift?

Here’s a little visual for you to try. Look down, dropping your head all the way. What do you see? Now lift your chin, and look out. What do you see?

When we feel burdened by our circumstances, when we rehearse everything that sucks, when we seek out the cloud, it’s like we have dropped our head to our chest and all we can see is ourself, our misery, our crummy life. Our view is small and pretty much just us. Maybe a bit of floor, or chair. The head-hanging pose is the pose of suffering, and it makes our life so small.

When I start my day thinking about the good from yesterday, the good I have now, and the good I have planned, I am lighter. My brain makes nice, juicy chemicals that help me feel good inside. I can lift my head up and see the world I am creating from an uplifted point of view.

That makes room for me to be a part of the world, instead of when I am in misery and I am it.

When I am part of the world, I want to bring my special gifts out to share. Or I want some help to figure out what my special gifts might be.

Why do I choose positive? How am I upbeat? What makes me choose?

When I choose to be part of the world, I want to do my best, and be my best. I know I have all the support I need just by asking, I know I am resourceful, and capable. competent and strong, and so I relax. A lot. And as I relax, I move into my natural life.

In my natural life, I am relaxed, and powerful. I am creative and brilliant. I trust that things will work out. I do good work, and feel satisfied, with my efforts, and content. I have a strong sense of my direction, what I want to accomplish, what I want in life. I move through the world, and respond to all sorts of things with bliss and joy.

When we put these pieces together, we notice that we feel happy, from the inside out. That happiness is free and flowing, and we want to share it, so we find ourselves smiling more, doing little nice things for others that feel effortless, and we notice other people doing nice little things. We find ourselves thinking better of each other, hopeful for humanity.

Thing is, when we do these little nice things, the smile, the kind word, it spreads. We are finding that these things spread way faster, and broader than the misery stuff. Maybe that’s because misery is so isolated, so specific to our own self. When we see a stranger grumping down the street, we don’t automatically go to grump, but a stranger smiling at us, that makes us smile.

What makes me happy? How am I content? Why would I be joyful?

Smiling is also a mechanical mood lifter. That is, if I am feeling blue, I can sit up straight, lift my chin a bit, and smile a big smile, all the way to my eyes, and it will release those feel good chemicals into my body. I can totally enhance the experience by asking good Creative Questions.

How have I changed from seeking happiness outside me to finding it at my core?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2014 all rights reserved 06182014