How are you today? I hope you're well and looking forward to a fabulous weekend :) I'm sorry I've been missing for the last week or so. I've been feeling very low lately. Everything has been such an effort and I'm finding it very difficult to be positive about anything. It's a dreadful way to feel and on a practical level it's exhausting too since I'm seen at work as something of a mini Polyanna, the always cheery girl with the optimistic attitude.
I'll share a secret dear ones. There are some days (though thankfully not so many) when this happy wee Rosie is a very elaborate facade. Like most spoonies who live with constant pain, the thing I dread is to be pitied, to be treated differently. I don't ever want to be seen as less than anyone else because I need a cane to walk or because I get tired easily. You see, I learned long ago that to avoid being treated differently I had to create a happy. smiley, positive front. An image I could project, on difficult days, to those around me. It's a form of self defence you see. Nothing to see here world, just a happy, smiley person, move along...
We find ourselves living in a world where, it seems, it's considered to be in poor taste to show any weakness, and where people can be judged very harshly if they do. You only have to pick up a newspaper to see how appallingly they speak of our elderly citizens (bed blockers? seriously?) or of differently abled (I dislike the term disabled) people who are often referred to as being a drain on resources :/ When did society have it's collective heart removed to become so callous?
I wonder at times how many others, like me, go through life projecting a perfect, calm, happy image to those around them when in reality things are not perfect at all. Is the world made up of little ducks on a pond? Calmly and gracefully maneuvering through life when behind the scenes, under the water so to speak, all our legs are frantically thrashing. As I said, the effort required to maintain the facade can be exhausting.
So, today I've decided I absolutely need to kick whatever this heaviness is off my shoulders and get back to being my usual insufferably cheery, happy & smiley self :) The best way I know to achieve this honeys is to practice a little gratitude and remind myself how incredibly lucky I am.
To that end then, I thought we could remind ourselves there are some pretty fabulous reasons to smile...
5 Fabulous Reasons To Smile :)
1. Because it makes you feel happy:
I double dare you to smile right now and not feel instantly happier honeys :) There is something about a smile which has some kind of a superpower, it can completely change how we feel. Even a "fake" smile can change our mood. In short, we can fool ourselves into being happy :)
I'm sure I drive my co-workers nuts by being too cheery, too happy and far (far) too smiley but I've had customers tell me that I make them smile because I always look so happy :) Just how sweet and precious is that? I've battled depression for so many years dear ones and some days are quite awful. On those days I try to smile the most because I've found if I do it long enough I start to feel better and then somehow, I don't have to try anymore :)
2. Because the world needs your smile
The most fabulous thing about a smile is that it doesn't just help you feel better. Imagine the scenario: You're out shopping and a stranger holds a door open for you and as you pass gives you a huge smile. More often than not, even if your day hasn't been great, you'll smile right back and just like that your day is given a little boost. Think how wonderful it would be for you to give someone else that same lovely little boost to their day. A smile is such a perfect gift, why not share yours?
3. It can have health boosting effects:
The physical act of smiling apparently releases all kinds of happy endorphins which can help ease stress and lower blood pressure which in turn is great for your heart's health. Result! All from a little smile :)
4. Furbabies :)
Do you have a furbaby? Unconditional love on four little paws. If you have a furbaby you'll know what I mean. I always say it's worth going to work just for the welcome I get when I get back home again from our furbaby Jade :) Of course I look forward to seeing Hubby too but he understands that Jade gets hugged first... it's fine honeys, Jade gets first hug when he gets home from work too :)
5. To say thank you:
Many years ago my dear Gramma told me that every morning, before I jump out of bed to start my day, I should take a minute to look around me. She said that if I had a bed to sleep in, a roof over my head and food in the kitchen, then I'm already more blessed than a third of the world and that I should take a minute to say thank you to the angel looking after me, because for sure, I had one. My Gramma believed in angels and I do too. What better way to thank your angel honeys than to start your day with a smile and acknowledge how blessed you are?
So, there we are. Five fabulous reasons to smile :) Are you smiling yet? I so hope so :) Well dear ones, I have to start some laundry and get things organised for work later, I hope you have the best weekend with sunshine, lots of hugs and more smiles than you know what to do with :) Till next time, I'll leave you with one of my favourite little poems, huggles always xx
It was only a sunny smile
and little it cost in the giving
But like morning light
it scattered the night
and made the day worth living
F. Scott Fitzgerald
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