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Daily Question, August 2

Lift up the corners of your mouth into a smile. Now, how do you feel when you hold it for a while?

  • JoeytheHoff

    My smile is starting to feel like home.

  • Aine

    It actually releases the tension in the face and spreads warmth through the cheek and jaw.

  • Amor fati

    What’s the “bonus question”?

  • Hot Sauce

    Definitely feel some endorphins flowing. Weird how motor functions link so well to emotions. The brain is a mysterious thing.

  • Amor fati

    Smiling….even if I don’t feel like it, widens the crack that lets the light in

  • Ose

    It feels lighter and radiates to the outside so that others may feel lighter, too. Gratefully exercising this today, connecting with some positive energy inside and out, which helps to not lose sight of the vision of a just, peaceful world, like Gina answered so beautifully to the bonus- question.

  • Deb

    I am always amazed that gravity pulls at my face! It pulls my lips and brows down! Even when I feel neutral. But lifting the corners of my mouth to smile fights against gravity and I momentarily feel lighter. It is how I get from moment to moment.

  • Karen

    What I first thought of when I read this question was the Charlie Chaplin song, best sung by Judy Garland, “Smile.” It might sound like a platitude, or false, but there is truth in it, besides the scientific research on its benefits to our brain and thus behavior.I also thought of the yogic instruction from the Yoga Sutras that if one cannot be cheerful in greeting the world and others, than don’t go outside that day (my words)! Basically, don’t inflict my misery on others.

    How do I f...

    What I first thought of when I read this question was the Charlie Chaplin song, best sung by Judy Garland, “Smile.” It might sound like a platitude, or false, but there is truth in it, besides the scientific research on its benefits to our brain and thus behavior.I also thought of the yogic instruction from the Yoga Sutras that if one cannot be cheerful in greeting the world and others, than don’t go outside that day (my words)! Basically, don’t inflict my misery on others.

    How do I feel when I smile? I feel lighter, more open and less self-involved.

    Read More
  • Trevor

    I feel like when I do that something is wrong. I’m trying to force joy. Joy shouldn’t be forced where I’m from, it should be cultivated, from the inside out.

    Smiling may be a good practice I simply do not refute that.

    We just don’t force smiles where I hail from.

    • Deb

      I understand what you are saying, PG. when I am in a social situation for too long, I’m thinking “Can I stop smiling? My face is killing me!”, which makes me laugh aloud.

  • kathleen

    I feel very receptive to the world. Smiling has such a strong power. Must remember to smile more often for my own benefit as well as others

  • Gina

    very Buddha – like, cause it is coming from within…….that inner peace that shines when I can focus on the moment to moment and then all seems okay with the world………..
    good reminder, focus on breathe, hear, now, the wondrous moment…

  • Michael

    the question itself along w the physical action requested produced a chuckle hahhhhhh! well done!!!

  • Michael

    Thanks for the reminder. It feels good and imagining it on all the other faces even more so ????.

  • Carol

    A smile is the simplest and the easiest form of meditation. Thanks for the reminder.

  • Kevin

    If I had to lift up the corners of my mouth for a while I think that my fingers would get tired! Ha! But I get it!

  • Christina

    It feels wonderful…thank you demo.gratefulness.org ladies for this one–smiling stills remains a challenge for me. Why is it so difficult? My life has changed profoundly. Why hasn’t my face?!

    • Anna

      I have always thought of you as smiling, for your logo, and your deep and kind words. I believe that it is a matter of time, and not a long time, dear Christina. Some years ago, When I got up early and started driving, I often thought of the hard day ahead of me, or of the news in the world, in my country...always bad news Christina...now, since I visit this website and read the reflections of you all, I look at the landscape and I feel a smile growing up, inside my soul into my face: i love the...

      I have always thought of you as smiling, for your logo, and your deep and kind words. I believe that it is a matter of time, and not a long time, dear Christina. Some years ago, When I got up early and started driving, I often thought of the hard day ahead of me, or of the news in the world, in my country…always bad news Christina…now, since I visit this website and read the reflections of you all, I look at the landscape and I feel a smile growing up, inside my soul into my face: i love the mountains on the background, the quiet light of the morning, and even the busy road full of people like me ( oh this is obviously unless i find some unkind driver, or some cyclist who pretens to drive in the middle of the road!)

      Read More
    • Palm

      Christina, but you do often put a smile on my face lol

    • Michael

      Remember Bobby McFarrin’s hit: “Don’t worry, be happy.” It comes solely from inside.

  • Dennis

    My inner knots dissolves and the room seems brighter.

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