The first Friday in October is World Smile Day. It’s good that they chose a Friday, because studies show that people are usually happier on Fridays than other weekdays.
The purpose of the day is not only to be smiling some, but showing kindness to others to make them smile. So spread smiles! Bonus points if you can make people around you laugh.
Did you know that smiling and laughing actually help you feel better? Fake smiles don’t work so well at this — scientists have researched that specifically, with mixed results. But genuine smiling and laughing release endorphins that boost your mood. And it helps the people around you. Just being around someone who is happy can help you be more happy.
Would you like to smile and laugh more? Who wouldn’t? So what are you going to do about it? That’s right, what are YOU going to do about it?
I discussed the other day about how many people just let life happen to them. They get stuck in a rut of routine, doing the same things every day, until it becomes boring and mundane. But if you want your life to be fun and awesome, you have to make it happen. No one else will, nor can they. So it’s up to you. So, make it so.
I recently talked about short-term solutions to be more happy and enjoy life more, and those are helpful, but there are also long-term solutions that have a more lasting effect. I realize this is a more serious topic than I normally cover on this blog — I have another blog for seriousness — but it goes with a recent post, and I do like to write here about making your life more awesome, so it somewhat fits.
Stock photo. I don’t know these people. But I do know that eating pizza with friends is a great time. How long has it been since you’ve done that?
I’ve been studying happiness for an upcoming blog series, and one thing I’ve discovered is that having purpose is a key component of being consistently happy. That, and relationships, and your mindset.
Relationships may seem obvious, because having family and friends who love you and care about you just makes life better. The right mindset is a deep topic — too deep for this post — but just consider that your expectations matter a lot, along with the stories you tell yourself to explain and summarize everything. (And along those lines, DON’T COMPLAIN! Someone who always complains can even take the fun out of a snack of cookies and milk. Don’t be that person.) So without going too deep into all that, let’s talk for a minute about finding your purpose.
We all have a purpose in this life, which God has given us. Every one of us is unique, so we all bring something special to the table. We are all potentially awesome, in a unique way. (Of course, not everyone has discovered their awesomeness — some live the opposite, and some try to be generic so they blend in — but we all have that potential, which we have to find and develop.)
What is our purpose? To sum it up, it’s to love God and love people. How we do that depends on our uniqueness and what makes you you. You are able to connect with the people around you in a way that is different from anyone else. We each have a role to play. The Bible explains it with the illustration of one body with many parts that are all important and all work together.
Helping people is a lot more than just the big, obvious things. You can encourage someone while having lunch with them and having funny and/or epic conversations. Going for a walk together, talking and listening, is important and can make a difference. Even just a text can encourage someone (although in-person is better when possible). One of the main things needed these days is to just be present (i.e., don’t look at your phone) — simply pay attention to the people around you. Think about the topics that interest you and find people who also share that interest, and spend time with people. You can even help people while playing video games together. (I realize that’s controversial to some, and context matters, of course, but it does happen. I participate in this myself, so I know.)
So don’t think you have to be in an official church ministry capacity to help the people around you. Everyone needs hope and encouragement and someone to listen to them. And we can all do that. And there are unlimited ways we can accomplish this.
A great benefit of finding your purpose in helping others is that it increases your own happiness. So it’s a win-win situation.
Today, March 20, is the International Day of Happiness. So, obviously, you should try to be happy today. 🙂
Funny conversations are usually better in-person.
Whether or not you choose to participate is up to you. We might think we want other people to make us happy, but really, they can’t, nor do you want to be dependent on other people to be happy. Or, even if we don’t expect them to, we might blame other people and circumstances when we aren’t happy. And while everything around us is an influence on our mood, the good news is that we are in control of our own happiness.
Research has shown that what happens to us makes up only about 20 percent of our happiness. The rest depends on our expectations and the narrative we tell ourselves to explain our life, both of which you can control. A full discussion on that is way beyond the scope of this post and this blog, but there is a series of blog posts on how to find happiness, if you want to learn more about it and improve your life. (It’s still a work in progress, but I know what’s coming and recommend it.)
So, what will you do today to be happy? Even if your schedule is full and you’re too busy, there’s opportunity to enjoy life where you’re at. Talk to someone who spreads humor, listen to music you enjoy, take a 5 minute dance break, go for a walk outside, relax for a few minutes when you normally wouldn’t, sit in the sun (or the shade) for a few minutes, eat a cookie, read a good book (or this blog), savor a glass of sweet tea, etc.
Remember, your happiness is up to you. So if you want to be happy, do something about it.
As we’ve done in previous months, we’re going to look at the special days and holidays of this month. As usual, this is not a complete list — those can be found elsewhere. But I guarantee you will not find another list like this one. This is not a mere list, because we add our own unique commentary and analysis. In other words, we try to make it more fun. And you are welcome to add to the discussion in the comments section.
Let’s get started with the month-long celebrations and observances in August:
Family Fun Month — A good family outing is a vacation, but if that’s not feasible at this time, try playing the Nintendo Wii. 🙂 This is not a joke — everyone who has tried it has enjoyed it, no matter their age or prior video game experience.
Admit You’re Happy Month — Go on, admit it! Although if you really aren’t happy, you should acknowledge that, and then do something about it. And fortunately, you’re at the right place. My personal research has shown that reading this blog will make you happier.
National Catfish Month — Mmm… fried catfish…
National Golf Month — The sport of golf requires skill and discipline, sure, but it’s boring to many people (myself included). That’s why I wrote a post about making golf less boring.
Peach Month — The best way to enjoy peaches is in cobbler, with vanilla ice cream. Mmm…
Romance Awareness Month — I’m aware of romance. So I’ve got this holiday covered already.
Water Quality Month — This is the month when local water municipalities strive to provide quality water. Oh, wait, I hope they do that every month. So what is this observance for?
National Picnic Month — Picnics can be a good time. They make a good diversion from work if you take one during lunch. Just make sure the weather cooperates. Ironically, this emphasis on picnics is in August, which is typically the hottest month of the year. That should not be.
National Inventors Month — I’ve invented something before, so this is about me. 🙂
American Artist Appreciation Month — I’m an artist! For real, check it out!
Foot Health Month — If your feet aren’t healthy, you should stay off them more (i.e., stay in bed more, sit on the couch to watch TV and/or play video games more).
Home Business Month — I have a home business. I wish this meant I would automatically make more money this month.
Now let’s look at the weekly events / celebrations / holidays in August:
Week 1 : National Simplify your Life Week — This is actually a good idea. Slow down, relax, focus on your top priorities, and laugh more.
Week 2 : National Smile Week — Smile! You’re on Candid Cookie! 🙂 Really, studies show that smiling and laughing are good for you, and can even add years to your life. (And of course, I have to plug my blog here, as its purpose is to make people happier.)
Week 3 : Friendship Week — For this week only, I’ll be your friend. Let’s do lunch. Have your people contact my people…
Week 3 : Air Conditioning Appreciation Week — This holiday is appropriately placed in August. I’m very appreciative of my air-conditioner! But, on the other hand, I just wrote an article on my other blog explaining why you don’t need air-conditioning. It’s true! Read it if you don’t believe me.
Week 3 : American Dance Week — All you party people out there, GET YOUR GROOVE ON!
Week 4 : Be Kind to Humankind Week — This is a good idea. We are all brothers and sisters, after all. (Well, I’m assuming all my readers are human. If you are a non-human species and can read this, please let me know via our contact form.)
This is getting quite long (as it usually does), so I’m going to break it up into several parts. Â Click here to search for the other entries for August.
Family Fun Month — A good family outing is a vacation, but if that’s not feasible at this time, try playing the Nintendo Wii. 🙂 This is not a joke — everyone who has tried it has enjoyed it, no matter their age or prior video game experience.
Buffet o' Blog 