Hello old friends! I can’t help but notice how I feel like Tom Hanks in Survivor when he finally gets rescued and enters back into the real world… like what is technology? What is a blog post? How do I do this again? Have no fear - I’m back on the bike and ready to spend a few minutes with you.
Sunday night, I laughed so hard I stained my cheeks with tears and almost peed my pants. In the joy of it all, I couldn’t help but think “When was the last time this happened?” Of course a seemingly small occurrence can spark into a life lesson for me that I want to share with all of you.
2020 has been kind of like this, hasn’t it? You find pockets of joy only to feel like… what’s the next craptastic thing that’s going to happen to me, my family, my neighbors or my world?
But I don’t want us to live in that space! I want us to have our joy, unapologetically, at least in the moment. There is enough individual and collective craptastic stuff going on but how about for now we choose to take back our joy?
I’ve been getting into following the moon cycles and Sunday was a new moon. One thing you can do on a new moon is intention setting. Because I loved the feeling of laughing until I cried so much, I decided to set two intentions around it.
I want to laugh until I cry - every single day.
I want to feel immeasurable joy in all situations.
What a wonderful world to imagine. I believe it’s possible with a little bit of help. So without further adieu, 7 reasons to smile:
You’re reading this, which tells me, you have something to read it on which is something to be grateful about *insert smile here* AND I’ve been known to put a smile or two on people’s faces along the way so I’m guessing I’ve checked that box (if not I will!) *insert my own cheesy smile here*.
Netflix has a section called “Comedy” for a reason. Quit watching that dramatic stuff, quit indulging in the fantasy world of bachelors and bachelorettes and quit watching that gore-filled stuff and flip to the comedy section. Some shows that I’ve been loving lately are anything Dave Chappelle and Tiffany Haddish.
Even a fake smile can help send a signal to your brain that, if repeated over time, will start to route a new path in your brain. Maybe not everyone reading this is old enough to need new neural networks but hey, you’ll thank me later in life!
I hate to admit this….. but I’ve been loving Buzzfeed articles lately. I love reading the ones that are like 15 of the funniest tweets or things like that. Such a guilty pleasure but they make me laugh out loud (ok, let’s be real, I silently laugh out loud because I’m a silent laugher).
UNPLUG. Some of you know this, some of you don’t, but I’ve been off social media since September 1. I can’t tell you how much more I am noticing the joy in the “little things” again. I think it’s because I’m not inundated with everyone else’s Christmas Card moments - I’m too busy seeing and EXPERIENCING those moments in real life.
Re-read a favorite book from when you were a kid. Even if you don’t like to read, or you don’t have enough time to read, most kids books can be crushed in one sitting. I’ve read one of my nephew’s favorites this year “Dogman” and a moody little number called “Green Angel” that got me through my teen years. There’s something about nostalgia that makes me smile!
When you’re done reading this one, close out of your phone, go to your contacts and find the first person in your list of “L” names. Who pops up? What is a fond memory of the person? If you’re comfortable, send them a text or give them a call - you’ll BOTH have a smile on your face.
If none of these managed to put a smile on your face, then what does bring your joy? Have you answered that question for yourself lately?
All my love,
Kelsey