Okay, I'm not a natural-born Susie Sunshine, but over the years I have found easy ways to make life more cheerful. So easy, it's become natural to me.
My surroundings: If I'm in a peaceful forest glade I don't have to do much but enjoy what it has to offer. If I'm at home and the place is messy or busy, I can always bring in a favorite cushion or painting or make a quiet corner that is filled with happy colors. That quiet corner is a must for me. If there are too many people or those who are around are in bad moods, I like to beetle off to my quiet spot and close my ears. I have a couple of prisms in the windows, so that when the sun shines in, I get rainbows in my kitchen. Sound is an important element too. I may not realize how stressed I am getting with an annoying noise or annoying music filling the background. That's what ipods are for.
The people around me: I used to have some high maintenance friends. I gave them up, even though at first it meant spending more time alone. Worriers, complainers, users, and people who are habitually unkind are like energy vampires who suck the joy out of me. I didn't realize that by surrounding myself with people like this, no matter how interesting they may have been, I was learning how to be gloomy. Once I discovered this, I did my best to surround myself with happy people. By watching what they said and did, I could learn from them.
Prayer: Offering a wish for all beings to be happy brings happiness to my own heart.
Smile: Thich Nhat Hahn suggests that we put a small half-smile on and practice keeping it there. I have only moderate success with this one. But when I do meditations that encourage smiling, like the kind where you imagine your heart is smiling or your foot is smiling, it brings that same feeling of quiet cheer.
My sense of humor: This was a gift from my parents and grandparents. Mom had the most outrageous and bizarre sense of humor. Gma took a real delight in the absurd, and was never afraid to snort out a chuckle. Gpa loved to play with words and puns. Daddy enjoyed turning things around. He'd send one or two flying over my head each time we chatted on the phone. If my sense of humor is dim, a good snort will help me remember that life is intended to be enjoyed.
Wonder: Taking a moment to be awestruck by a starry sky or anything that is greater than I can comprehend reminds me that I don't have to solve every problem or fix every boo-boo. That gives rise to my natural cheer and humor.
Appreciation: This can be as simple as saying Grace.
Meditation: Meditation changed my life. I am one of those people who's always thinking and I needed to learn how to dial that back a bit to get some perspective. When I was first meditating, I gave myself 10 minutes a day and set the egg timer. It was all I could handle at first, but I added to that by walking through the neighbourhood listening to guided meditations. Cassettes, in those days, remember the Walkman? Moving meditation, walking meditation, sitting watching the breath meditation, yoga, healing sessions all are forms of meditation that I use in day to day life. Each day is different so each will include whatever is right. A little less time in my head and a bit more in the moment gives rise to real joy.
While I'm not a natural-born Susie Sunshine , my everyday state of mind is way higher on the cheerful scale than it was when I was a kid or young adult. So high that I rarely think about it any more.
I'm a twin. How can I not love this?
