Finding Happiness: 11 Simple Ways to Get Your Smile Back

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” ~The Dalai Lama
A while back my sister arrived for a family get-together and remarked, “Your mad laughter is missing. What’s happening?”
My mind trailed back to my childhood and teenage years and showed me images of a girl who could laugh easily, loudly, and madly.
Somewhere along the line I had lost my ability to laugh — truly laugh, with wonder and without worry.
At first I brushed it off because I didn’t even notice myself changing. The change was gradual, imperceptible.
I had come to take life too seriously.
As a child and teenager, I had disappointments. But as I think back, the hope for my future greatly outweighed my setbacks.
Of course, my future didn’t play out exactly as I’d imagined it would, and I encountered a series of disappointments.
My financial situation was far from great. My relationships went through turmoil and turbulence. I let them become set in stone and define my life.
I blamed myself for not being wise enough to make good decisions. I blamed myself for not being smart enough to catch my wrong decisions. I felt miserable. And then I blamed myself for feeling miserable, because strong people don’t waste time feeling miserable, do they?
So, after a few more observations from people who thought I mattered enough to give me feedback about my attitude, I decided to observe my thoughts and myself.
I began to think of what made me feel better, and what helped me keep the feeling longer, so I could get my smile back.
After months of watching myself, I saw that a few things helped me consistently.
1. Being aware of physical and emotional triggers.
I started paying attention to my body. My health had a big effect on my mood, and vice versa. I starting eating what would calm my stomach and keep my body at ease.
Things like procrastinating made me feel bad about myself, so I kept up my schedule with greater caution. I also learned to avoid over-scheduling myself so I didn’t have things piling up, making me feel inefficient and inadequate.
Your body is constantly giving you signals even when you are trying hard to ignore it, so start paying attention.
