A grumpy
face spreads gloom and darkness, just like the daily content of the
news—homicides, genocides and worldwide financial crises. I’d rather meet a
cheerful face that notices the flowers and affirms life, prepared to make
the best of it.
A cheerful person mirrors a positive attitude, promising acceptance—and who would not like to feel accepted? Cheerfulness radiates energy and joy. When we strive to maintain a cheerful countenance, we create an inner fountain of goodwill that is wonderfully contagious to those we meet. Not surprising that a cheerful person is welcome most anywhere.
Some of us inherit cheerfulness from a parent; some acquire it in early youth, while many of us make a concerted effort to maintain a cheerful face, no matter how adverse Fortune might be treating us. Fortunately, cheerfulness is an attitude that is not entirely dependent on genetics. A cheerful mindset can be acquired by deliberate choice—by focusing on what is positive and good in our world. Studies have shown that the mere muscular effort to smile changes our attitude—we automatically feel better. Many songs remind us of this fact: “Smile, when your heart is aching…”
Mark Twain expresses it beautifully: “The best way to cheer up yourself is to cheer up someone else.”
Cheerfulness is a great asset when we face life’s many challenges. It helps us feel more capable and resourceful, perhaps because it deters those negative feelings that might overwhelm us when they whisper, “oh no, you can’t handle that.”
It endows us with greater self-assurance and with inner peace that in the long run tends to improve not only the quality but also the number of years we’ll be wandering Planet Earth.
Joseph Addison once said that “Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.” Michel de Montaigne goes even a step further; he suggests that “Cheerfulness is the most certain sign of wisdom.”
A cheerful person mirrors a positive attitude, promising acceptance—and who would not like to feel accepted? Cheerfulness radiates energy and joy. When we strive to maintain a cheerful countenance, we create an inner fountain of goodwill that is wonderfully contagious to those we meet. Not surprising that a cheerful person is welcome most anywhere.
Some of us inherit cheerfulness from a parent; some acquire it in early youth, while many of us make a concerted effort to maintain a cheerful face, no matter how adverse Fortune might be treating us. Fortunately, cheerfulness is an attitude that is not entirely dependent on genetics. A cheerful mindset can be acquired by deliberate choice—by focusing on what is positive and good in our world. Studies have shown that the mere muscular effort to smile changes our attitude—we automatically feel better. Many songs remind us of this fact: “Smile, when your heart is aching…”
Mark Twain expresses it beautifully: “The best way to cheer up yourself is to cheer up someone else.”
Cheerfulness is a great asset when we face life’s many challenges. It helps us feel more capable and resourceful, perhaps because it deters those negative feelings that might overwhelm us when they whisper, “oh no, you can’t handle that.”
It endows us with greater self-assurance and with inner peace that in the long run tends to improve not only the quality but also the number of years we’ll be wandering Planet Earth.
Joseph Addison once said that “Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.” Michel de Montaigne goes even a step further; he suggests that “Cheerfulness is the most certain sign of wisdom.”
Be wise and smile,
Rosi
No comments:
Post a Comment