Playing Nice

I have a couple of mantras for the new year.  First being, "Fake it till you feel it." 

We've all heard it takes more muscles to frown than to smile.  Well after exhaustive research...IE, I "Googled" it... and it seems that may not be true after all.  Or it might be...just depends on who's website you pick.

Potential for facial exercises aside, just because I'm having a bad day, why should I be a downer to everyone who crosses my path?  Particularly my husband and children.  No, not out of some altruistic  "you matter more than me" kind of place.  But, from a "as momma goes, the family goes" kind of place.  If I'm grumpy with them, they'll be grumpy with me.  If they're grumpy with me, in my already grumpiness, well....it might not be pretty, and a lot of apologizing will have to take place after I've unleashed all my Viking Fury on them.  (Yes, we did just watch "How to Train Your Dragon" and I am 1/8 Swedish)

It's one thing to apologize after accidentally breaking something, or inadvertently hurting someones feelings.  It's quite another, when the apology comes with a heapin' helpin' of humble pie all because my knickers were in a knot. 

So, fake it till you feel it.  Fake being not grumpy.  Smile. (not that sarcastic, "boy I'm doing everything I can to tolerate you" smile...you know what I'm talking about)  Take a deep cleansing breath.  And guess what?  If you keep this up, you just might find yourself feeling better. 

As with most things I write about...I tested it out first.  Guess what, it actually works. Turns out, smiling releases endorphins.  (according to my "Google" experts).  Once the endorphins are released, you start to feel better.  Endorphins are our friends.  And you can never have too many friends !!