Smile! It's November in Ohio

Smile! It May Alter your Life.

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings

can alter their lives by altering their attitudes "

 William James

            It’s the first of November in Ohio. The skies are gray, the air is damp and the trees are windswept, their beautiful leaves blown into the next county. Even the mums are turning brown. Yuck!

            There was a time when November first would bring a sense of despondency to my soul and by the end of the month I would wonder if I was a victim of the dreaded Seasonal Affective Disorder. It’s understandable though…on average, Northwest Ohio in November has only 3 clear days and a total of 90 hours of sunshine for the whole month. Why do I live here?

            One of the reasons I live here just walked through the front door. She’s two and the first words out of her mouth were “Gramma, I’m here!” All of a sudden it doesn’t matter that the skies are gray, she had brought the sunshine into my life for today and a reminder that life is what we make it.  

             I have learned after several miserable winters in Ohio that there is nothing as toxic to life as a negative mind set. Let’s stop for one minute and think of all of the negative words we know. Ready? November, gray, cold, depressed, anxious, hopeless, defeated, self pity, bad, pessimistic, sad, discouraged, unconstructive, rejected, disapproval, denied, painful….ok, let’s stop, it hasn’t even been a minute and I am already feeling heavy in my heart.

            But there is hope…even if you live in Ohio in November.  

            I discovered for myself (although others tried to point it out to me) that it was my negative mindset that was causing my problem and I needed to find the good in spite of the bad. Sometimes all it takes is that one loving person to help us recognize our negativity, but the change  has to start within us, we have to want to begin to see the glass half full rather than half empty.

            After we recognize that negativity in ourselves we have to start the process of change. As a Christian, I know…if God can put within us a new heart, He is also capable of helping us with a new mindset. Sometimes though, we need professional help in the form of a counselor or pastor. 

           If today, on this depressing first day in November you need something instantly to make the day more tolerable, you might want to try this. Go into the bathroom, look in the mirror and smile. It takes fewer muscles to do that than it does to frown. Feels good doesn't it? Actually, smiling at yourself in your bathroom mirror not only feels good it’s downright funny! It makes you want to laugh…and now you know, it’s impossible to complain and be happy at the same time.

            Today, if you are feeling down in the dumps and don’t have a two year old to bring sunshine into your life, I would recommend you try to change your feelings about life by altering your mind with good thoughts. Start by altering your face. It can’t hurt to try.