. . . to do one thing, however small that is plain silly, out of character, a bit eccentric, out of the ordinary, backward, upside down, even if you just put on your shirt inside out and catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror.
Now, smile. . . Come on, bigger. Now, do it again, but first — get ready to feel the changes in your body when you smile. If you are paying attention you cannot help but feel the change, because it is physical.
Now that you know what it feels like, make a mental note to smile the next time you are really miserable. It will help for those few seconds. I know, I know you can’t do it long enough to feel like you have made a difference. . . but imagine if you did it enough that it became a habit? Every few seconds that smile is pasted (well, that’s what it will feel like at first!) on your face is that many seconds LESS that you are feeding your own misery.
And if you don’t have the wherewithal to try it yourself right now, just try to get a smile out of someone else. . .
(And yeah, I have done it, not often enough to be a habit, but every time I tell someone else, I remember to smile for that moment again. . . See, I’m smiling. . .yeah, I look silly the way I am doing it, but my smile is growing.)
