How long has it been since you laughed so hard you cried? If it’s been awhile, it’s time to ask yourself why? What’s getting in the way of taking full advantage of the most user-friendly, best medicine known to modern man?
Maybe it simply boils down to brain science.
Did you know that during times of stress your brain naturally just leans in the direction of the negative? Like a flower to the sun. Call it primitive instinct or part of the curse, it is what it is.
Brain science tells us time and again that fear, negativity, and resentment stick like Velcro to the nerves. Positivity, gratitude, and appreciation slide away like Teflon from those same nerves – until we choose to intentionally embrace them for a minimum of fifteen seconds. Only then do they imprint the brain. 1
My personal takeaway?
A decision to be at least fifteen seconds more present in this little bit of now.
To open my heart and ask, ‘What if this difficult whatever is a gift?’
To listen for whispers that awaken a new kind of knowing God.
To look for snapshots of humanity that make me feel alive.
To more fully cherish the Divine reflected in those around me.
These are the images I want to mark my brain.
How about you?
We could all use a little more HAPPY. And so could our family and friends.
Care to join me as we kick off the new year?
It’s more fun together. 🙂
P.S. Ready to make room for more happy in your day? Here’s a 5 minute idea that comes with a Guarantee: If you don’t experience a smile, chuckle, or goosebumps running up and down your spine while reading Hello Happy!, the author promises your money back. 😉
1 Rick Hanson, Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence, Random House, 2013.
