Sharing Your Joy

Do you believe that is true?  I don't quite know; for me, the eyes have it, but the eyes "smile," too. 

What I am sharing below is an excerpt from my book, A Fascinating Companion, which can be found on both Etsy and Amazon.

Feeling joy and sharing that joy with others is one of the real charms of a woman who lives these teachings. Sharing your joie de vivre (the ebullient enjoyment of life) is what is meant by “shedding joy around.” Joie de vivre is enhanced by Serenity, which is covered in a later lesson. I have a few thoughts and techniques to share to help you to experience joie de vivre.

Love Your Life

Nobody’s life is 100% easy.  However, in my observation and experience, almost everybody’s life includes beauty and goodness. Even if a lady is experiencing great struggles, I believe that she will also experience some beauty, some goodness each day.  She can choose to concentrate on the negative aspects of her life (which should not be ignored) or she can choose to concentrate on what loveliness does occur in her life: a family who loves her and whom she loves; a warm, dry place to live; the relief of a cool drink of water; the satisfaction of a tasty meal; seeing a beautiful tree or flower or a beautiful sunrise or sunset.

Consider The Four Feminine Roles.  How could you magnify those roles to the point that they bring  you joie de vivre?  It’s really in magnifying our roles that they begin to bring us joie de vivre.  When that happens, although we experience our share of struggles, we can have joyful lives and share that joy with others through our smiles and our pleasant, encouraging words.

Smile Your Way Through the Day

My late mother had a friend whose smile didn’t quite make it to his eyes. He enjoyed the love of his wife and children, the companionship of good friends, and a satisfying career, but I always wondered if he was truly happy. We’ll learn more about cultivating joy in our lives in the lesson on Serenity, but in the meantime, continue to smile your way through the day by following The Fascinating Reminders and try to have that beautiful smile reflect in the expression in your eyes.

“But I’m Depressed”

Clinical Depression is a serious illness and should be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional.  If you suspect that you are clinically depressed, I encourage you to contact your physician for assistance.  Sometimes, though, women perceive that they have depression when, in fact, they are having a blue day or feel out of sorts for whatever reason. In this latter case, smiling can help. While it might be more difficult to appear happy to others while unhappy inside, as discussed in the previous section, it is possible. In fact, at least one psychological study has found that happy facial expressions are correlated with an upswing in mood.

The Dolphin and the Shark

Many years ago, I attended a lecture by a woman named Lucile Johnson. As part of the lecture Mrs. Johnson related a visit she made to a large aquarium. She noted during her visit that hordes of people gathered around the dolphin tank, feeding the Dolphins, conversing with them, and blowing them kisses. She further noted that a tank of Lemon Sharks was ignored, glanced at only briefly, stared at, or teased. 

Being of an analytic bent, Mrs. Johnson considered the two types of animals in terms of physical appearance. They were of approximately the same size, shape, and color. She noted one major difference in their physiognomy, though: The dolphins’ mouths turned up at the corners while the sharks’ mouths turned down. While Mrs. Johnson’s bit of amateur  research might not be conclusive, it is illustrative: human beings are more attracted to smiling faces than to frowning or glum faces. Too, as I get older, I’d much rather have smile lines than the dreaded marionette mouth, wouldn’t you? 

Sing While You Work

A while back one of my ladies asked why singing was beneficial. She asked, “Couldn’t I just hum instead?” Based on my research, I found the following possible benefits of singing  (your results may vary):

❀ Increased lung capacity
❀ Increased Immunoglobulin A, which acts to prevent disease
❀ Increased endorphin levels in the blood stream, which can lift the mood
❀ Toning of the abdominal and lateral muscles
❀ Stimulation of the diaphragm
❀ Increased aerobic capacity
❀ Improved circulation
❀ Improved relaxation

For those blessed with children, multiple studies suggest that parents who sing to and with their children help to foster increased cognitive and verbal development and mathematical understanding (especially with rhyming songs, counting songs, and songs with finger or hand movements), improved social skills, and increased literacy. 

A Little Cosmetic Assistance 

Women who wear makeup can add the tiniest dab of light pink frosted lipstick to the apples of their cheeks, the tip of the chin, and in the middle of the forehead, then blend well. This trick of light makes the face appear to glow.

Copyright (c) 2017, 2019 Cynthia Berenger All Rights Reserved.