Smile Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Scott's Thinking

Smile And Laugh More

Posted on June 14, 2021

Force yourself to do it if you have to. This idea seems crazy but we can forget to see the lighter side of things. Smile and laugh more because it feels good and others respond well to it.

Sometimes we take life, or ourselves and our situation, a little too seriously. It is easy to do. We can get caught up in the hub bub of daily life and just press on through. But it is so nice to see people smile and hear others laughing. It often makes us want to smile and laugh too. It is a wonderful way to quickly feel better about things.

Think of a fun time you had with a friend recently, or 20 years ago. Hold that thought. Hear the laughter in your mind and feel the giant smile on your face. Maybe you did something that scared you a little. Maybe it felt daring or a bit crazy. You did it though! And you can relive that memory as often as you like. It is free and provides a great feeling.

Think of those favourite songs of yours. Think of the happy ones, not the break up, drown your sorrows ones. Maybe some favourite scenes in some great movies do it for you. A great vacation or an activity you did or shared with others could be the smile trigger. Get five or six of these great memories and moments and write them down. Note a few key words to remind you of each one. Keep it in your pocket or on your phone. Look at it often.

Smile and laugh more. We’ll all benefit.

Action Reframe your thoughts

Shine Your Light

Posted on May 30, 2021

You can make people happy. You have the power to help others feel lighter and more joy-filled. When you shine your light, so many other people benefit.

People have happiness triggers. There are certain things that will bring a smile to their face or laughter to their heart. You need to observe them or communicate with them to understand what the triggers are. Once you have the information, it makes it a lot easier to elicit a smile.

It can be quite an incredible feeling when you help someone find their smile. To see the joy in their eyes and the curling up of their lips can make you smile too.

Some people are brilliant at this. They have developed a knack for it. Comedians and talk show hosts seem to be able to get the smiles going. Sometimes it can be doctors, clowns and young children that help lighten the mood.

Presumably this is simply another skill that can be learned and improved upon. Most people should be able to get a few of their friends to crack up now and then. To improve in this capacity, buy a book of clean jokes and learn a few. You can also watch people perform their comedy routines on YouTube. Keeping a positive mental attitude can help too.

Shine your light and let the whole world shine with you.

Action Gratitude Health & Fitness Think About It

Find Something To Smile About

Posted on November 4, 2020

Depressing thoughts or simply regular, everyday things can send you in the wrong direction. But you can find something to smile about and change the direction of your day!

Think about something that can make you smile. Isolate just that moment in your mind. Transport yourself there and block out all other thoughts. Savour the moment and smile.

For example, I can think of receiving a massive hug from daughter. Other times, I will go back in time to 1979 when the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series. As a fan of baseball, Willie Stargell, underdogs and ‘never give up, come from behind’ wins, that memory always gets a smile.

So find a few of these moments in your memory. You may have to do some searching through the past if you don’t have one easily accessible. You can also create a visualisation of a happy time you expect to have in the future. Though be careful not to create an unnecessary expectation versus reality gap that you’ll have to address later if it doesn’t happen.

Once you have those happy memories you can remember, practice accessing them every hour. This will help you develop a happiness habit that could have you smiling numerous times every day. It’s a nice circuit breaker during days that may not have the opportunity to create new smile-worthy memories.

Find something to smile about.

Health & Fitness

The Case For Laughter

Posted on September 24, 2020

Few things compare with having a really good laugh. What a fabulous feeling it gives you. The case for laughter is easy: It makes you feel great.

I’ve been searching out more laughter in the past week. I’ve seen a few video clips that have really made me chuckle. There have even been a couple where I was caught off guard and really howled. Those can be the best moments. When you really weren’t expecting something to be funny and it strikes you in a certain way.

YouTube is a particularly good way to discover great clips. You can search for particular shows, comedians, situations or types of humour. Then their algorithm gives you more of the same. You don’t have to do much work to find a stream of clips that suit you and the mood you’re in.

I’m a fan of clever comedy. Quick wit or a facial expression can be brilliant. Though I generally don’t enjoy put downs, practical jokes or physical pain as comedy. It’s simply not my thing.

Laughter is the best medicine. You smile and your body releases endorphins. These are your body’s good feeling chemicals. They can reduce pain and help you heal.

This is the case for laughter.

Now go find some good clean funny videos and make your face ache with joy.

Action Gratitude

Celebrate! ?

Posted on July 10, 2020

When you have been working at something and reach a milestone, you need to pause and Celebrate! ?

This is such a critical factor in continued success.

Take a moment to reflect back on what you have done. Look at what you have achieved. Remember those moments of joy you had along the way. And reflect on all the challenges you had to meet and overcome to reach this point.

For me, I am celebrating with this blog. This is my 183rd daily blog in a row. I’ve completed half a year of daily blogging. At an average of 250 words per blog, this means I’ve written approximately 45,000 words. That is roughly the number of words in a bestselling non-fiction book. ?

I’ve enjoyed the process and had a lot of great support from people. So thank you to everyone who has given me feedback! Whether it has been tips, suggestions, thumbs ups, comments, shares or very kind words of support, it has all been great encouragement and has kept me motivated to press on!

There is another significant milestone happening on the 11th July. My in-laws are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. That’s quite something. Congratulations Clare and Don!

Celebrate! ?

Whatever the milestone, big or small, it will feel great to have reached it.