Tag Archives: smile

Good Morning!

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How was your morning?  Is there something in your morning routine that makes you smile and/or should I say, giggle?  

I am a morning person.  And I know you night people hate us.  We pretty much do jump out of bed with energy and desire to check things off our list.  I start babbling to anyone who will listen (actually listening is not a prerequisite).  Now morning people definitely have a downside–afternoon slump, nighttime social life is practically nil etc.  But I don’t want to focus on that for now.  

I love getting things done before the rest of my family wakes up.  Before most of the country wakes up.  I love driving to work toward the east and watching the sunrise.  Every time I see a beautiful sunrise while driving, I’ll look around at others in their car to see if they see it. I’m amazed that no one else around me is in awe or even notices the beauty.  I want to roll down my window and point to the sky but I’m afraid they might think I’m a loony.   

Now one thing that I’ve been doing for years during my morning routine, that I didn’t even NOTICE was bringing me down, was watching the news while dressing.   Even 15 minutes of the news, for me, is like watching a balloon deflate slowly.  The life just comes out of me.  But what can I do?  I have to watch the news.   I have to know what’s going on in the world.  And I’m certainly not a news junkie.  I don’t go crazy on Facebook or Fox/CNN because I know I’m not the type of person that can handle 24 news without it affecting me.  Heck 15 minutes affects me.  

So….I found 2 ways to fix that!

One….I actually found a “Cliff Notes” for the daily news.  It’s called theSkimm.  Perfect for me.  One page.  Nothing emotional.  No photos, no angry rants.  I read it, get in, get out…bing bang boom! If I want more information on something, I look later on.   I know that’s not enough for everyone–but that’s why we’re all different.  But it works for me.  I’m not as “heavy” on a daily basis as I was before.  (Yes, very easy for me to make a weight joke right here but it’s toooooooo easy 🙂  

Two…I love this.  I’ve started using my inversion table. unnamedYou know for upside-down ab workouts.  Hahahaha.    No–for low back stretching.  It’s part of my morning routine.  And my little puppy dog, Beaux always comes to lick my face.  My face is right at his level now.  And there’s nothing I can do about it.  Totally makes me start giggling.  Every morning.  How’s that for a great start to a morning?  Giggling because your dog is loving you, or getting depressed watching the news?  Your choice. 

Now obviously, the dog licking is not everyone’s cup of tea (following will be a funny story about the dog licking).  But find something that makes you smile–sunrise, fresh air…step outside, in your robe for 10 seconds and breath in the fresh morning air (if nothing else you’ll help your neighbor with their morning smile seeing you in all your morning glory.  Whether you’re a …..download or….. 4ced3d3209c82838fe512e1042e21f59 Who cares!  You’re neighbor needs something to make him smile too!  Don’t be selfish 🙂   Just DO Something that makes you smile during your morning routine.  

And just to finish with a funny story –  Dog licking is not all giggles and smiles of course.  Normally it drives me crazy when he licks my face.  But when you’re in the upside-down position and can’t do anything about it…and all he’s doing is loving you…..you have to just let it go and embrace it.  BUT, his tongue got into my nostril ( I guess I should be happy it wasn’t my mouth, which has happened more times than my husband’s tongue has gone into my mouth I’ll tell ya!!!)  And I could tell he went into the cat’s litter box. Yep-kitty poop scent (and whatever else) was in my nose.  How do I write the next sentence?  Do I need to write the next sentence?  And my little Beaux-Beaux is sitting on my lap at this very moment while I type this, looking at me, going “what, what, did I do something?”.  Actually what he’s really thinking is “your typing is bothering me, can you type quieter?”.   

Go and find something to make you smile and possibly giggle withing the first hour of the morning.  It will make and everyone else you meet that day happier!

Remember,

ITLBOK, Really

If you like my blogs, please Follow Me.  This means you will get sent my new blogs straight to your email instead of having to remember my site address or going onto Facebook.  Just click the floating “follow” button on the lower right side of the page.  Thanks!  Happy Reading.

Smile, someone’s watching

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So here’s something interesting that happened to me the other day.  It’s the first day of a new class that I’m taking.  Yes-I’m taking another mindfulness class, I like it that much.  Plus I fell off the wagon during the holidays.  BUT that doesn’t matter, does it?  Because, the important thing is that I’m choosing to start up again!  Anyway, that’s not the point of the story 🙂

As soon as I walk in, a woman from my first mindfulness class, (let’s call her Marty-I don’t know if she wants anonymity or not), was so happy to see me.  She said she was specifically thinking of me this morning and wondering if I would be in this class.  We hugged and she was truly smiling.   Now I remember this woman from the other class but we never had a deep connection.  She sat on the other side of the room of 25 people.  I could tell that she was going through some painful issues, not that anything specific was ever mentioned.  Our personalities, I’m guessing are totally different.  She’s petite, very quiet, kind of in her own cocoon.  I’m more vocal (obviously), take up more space just by spreading and stretching my limbs whenever I want to, crack jokes whether the timing is completely appropriate.  You get my point in our differences.  Think of quiet deer vs noisy chipmunk!

So where am I going with this?!?  You–the universal you–never know how you’re going to affect another person!  How people see you–what do you want them to see?  I’m asking, not judging.  For me, I don’t want them to see the nicest person, or the prettiest person, or the funniest person (I mean you can if you WANT to 🙂 )  I want them to see a REAL person!  With all their ups and downs and flaws and greatness.  Heck, I’ll walk into Barnes & Noble (my hangout) and tell all who’s listening, “I’m in a grumpy mood, watch out!”  I figure if you give fair warning….

But this is the real me.  Took me years to get here.  And I think you should try and be the real you.  Not everyone is going to like it.  Another lesson I learned from being a fitness instructor with lots of different classes taught by different instructors.  You have to be you.  Some people will like your classes and some will want to go to another instructor.  But that’s OK.  It really is!  This way, you’re having fun in your class and so are your students.  Just like life….you’re having fun in life and so are the people around you!

But just like how this other woman remembered me and actually CARED whether or not I was in class…….That’s how much affect you can have on people just by…….wait for it…….can you guess what I’m going to say?……

Just by smiling at someone!!!!  Yes I said it!  IMG_4590  OK maybe this smile is a little over the top….you might get put in the loony bin if you look like this at strangers!  

You smile at someone holding a door for you.  Maybe even say hello, thank you, make a small joke–anything.  That small act will make them smile.  That interaction will put a tiny pep in their step and they will smile to someone else.  And so on, and so on.  I kid you not!  Specifically people that WON’T smile.  You get the most bang for your buck with them!  They take more effort getting a smile out of them but it’s worth it.  I know you’ve heard this before….smile, pass it forward, blah blah blah.   But come on–it can’t hurt!  Takes two seconds.   What’s the worse that can happen?  You put a crease in your cheek?

So go out tomorrow, look around at all the people.   You never know who’s watching and who’s day you will make!!!

Remember,

ITLBOK,Really

If you like my blogs, please Follow Me.  This means you will get sent my new blogs straight to your email instead of having to remember my site address or going onto Facebook.  Just click the floating “follow” button on the lower right side of the page.  Thanks!  Happy Reading.