As the reading public knows, I have commented about habits in the past. I do wish there was a way for me to know if I have commented on a particular topic in the past, then I would not cover the subject a second time. Anyway, if you don’t want to read this then go do something else.
Habits are very important in our lives, without habits we would need to actually think about what we are doing all the time. Just consider one thing that you do habitually, such as where do you keep your socks. When you need a clean pair of socks, you without thinking, get a pair of socks out of the drawer. Much of what we do each day is habitual.
Now that we have gotten to the subject of socks, I can proceed with my comments. This morning as I was attempting to get dressed, it just so happened that I was attempting to put my socks on, and I had not yet put my pants on. Do you have the image in your mind, a senior person, sitting on the side of a bed, with no pants, and a pair of socks in his hand?
I have the habit of crossing my leg to put my sock on. I have now understood that crossing my leg to put a sock on is not the only habit I have, when it comes to socks. Allow me to explain.
I acquired the first sock, adjusted the sock with the heel of the sock in the right place, and as I began to cross my leg I reached for my pant leg, but I did not have my pants on. I then realized that I have a habit of grabbing my pant leg in an effort to help get my leg crossed. It is a habit that I did not know I had, until this morning.
Yes I can still cross my legs without pulling on the pant leg, but over the years it has just became a habit. It is kind of interesting when you begin to think about all the habits you have.
In my opinion, most things we do are habitual in nature and we do not need to think about everything we do. If you drive, think about what all you do when driving that you do not actually think about. You take the same route to work, you stop at a stop sign without thinking, and do many other driving things as you drive, while you are thinking about other things.
Habits, where would we be without habits.
Smile and you win
There are several parts to this title line, “Smile and you win”, and I will try to comment on one or two parts. There are many things that make us unhappy, and as soon as we become unhappy we usually have a frown on our face. I know for a fact that smiling, even if you are doing it when you are unhappy, will help you feel a little better, and a smile on our face not only makes us happier, it helps others feel better.
Consider for a moment; do you want to be around people who are happy, AKA smiling, as opposed to those unhappy people with a frown? A big part of my point about smiling is, you need to know how it affects you and others.
Challenge: for a week, pay attention to your attitude. Determine how often you are smiling and how often you are frowning. If you are around others when you are smiling or frowning, look at those around you. What mood are they in? Did they help you to get into the smile or frown mood you are in?
For those who are willing to experiment, you will learn something.
A different view of a smile; if someone is upset with you and telling you what they think, maybe even hollering at you, your best response is a smile and not responding to any ugly comments. Allow them to unload everything they want to say, as you stay quiet and smile. At some point they will likely stop and look at you. When they can’t get you involved in the hollering, and they see you are not upset, they will stop talking. You may then quietly respond with a short comment or short question. Allow them to respond, as you continue to smile.
For those who are willing to experiment, you will learn something.
Stressed out: if you find yourself all stressed out about anything, take a few minutes to do a short meditation.
First find a place to sit where it is quiet, if possible.
Attempt to relax your back, neck and body as much as possible.
In this short meditation take a deep breath and slowly release the breath through your mouth, do this three times.
During this deep breath have a smile on your face even if you must force it there.
Tell yourself that you are relaxing and you will deal with whatever put you into this mood. Smile and stay as positive as possible as you relax.
Again take three slow deep breaths and slowly release the breath through your mouth.
A five minute meditation with a five minute smile will help provide you with a positive feeling. This will not solve all your problems, but it will help you more adequately address the situation.
For those who are willing to experiment, you will learn something.
May your day be filled with positive smiles!
Senior smile-ologists and all round believer, Don Ford
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