but surprisingly...upbeat!!

It occurred to me last night that sometimes my friends might think of me like a little puppy-- entertaining, cuddly, funny, occasionally annoying, and (nearly) always happy.   I think my friends find my constant upbeat-ness a little irritating at times, especially when sh*ts goin' down... Please excuse my language.  But other people seem like they could use a little more happiness, even when sh*ts NOT going down.  So I'm here to share my secret theory of happiness:

Your mood doesn't have to be based on the number of good things and bad things that you're experiencing.  If you live life being content if and only if the good outweigh the bad, get ready for a long life of unhappiness-- you might not ever break even.  Abandon this method of mood determination and reclaim your happiness.  Stop waiting for the world to give you a reason to be happy, because...

You don't have to have a reason to be happy!  It might sound nutty, but take it from someone who's annoyingly happy for no reason 92% of the time (no one's perfect), this is a foolproof way to live!  Just try it-- wake up tomorrow and tell yourself that you're going to be happy.  And then when anything bad rolls your way, brush it off, instead of letting it consume you.  (Also, problems are easier to solve when you're not upset/unhappy).  So decide to be happy just because you want to be. And who doesn't want to be happy?

If this craziness is a little too much for you, take baby steps and be happy for the little things.  Be happy because 10 people read your blog post instead of just 5. If that boy you're crushing on sends you a text message, let that instant grin spread over your whole self and warm your heart, too.  Be happy because someone "liked" your Facebook status, or because it's sunny outside.  Take pleasure in the little things and use them to bolster your good mood, or turn around a bad mood.  Today, I switched my usual lunch of peanut butter and rice cakes for a salmon burger on a croissant.  And it totally recharged me from a crumby morning.

And if you're still trying to find a reason to be upbeat, come find me -- smiles are always contagious and you can bet I'm sporting one! :)

L

PS:  If you can name the movie I'm referencing with my title here, text me/call me/email me and I'll include you in my next post.  So get ready to be famous!  Just beware-- I'm the one creating the nicknames...