Fake It 'Til You Make It

          Usually I keep this column pretty light and simple. I realize that I write a lot about happiness and smiling, and to some of you, that may sound like rainbows and unicorns.  My hope is that to most of you, though, it is realistic. I’m fully aware of the fact that I can get “preachy.” I’m always telling people how to act and treat others, and I’m sure plenty of people read this and call me a hypocrite because I’m not a perfect person either. I encourage everyone to live their lives in the best way they can, but that doesn’t mean I always do. I ask people to participate in challenges with me, such as random acts of kindness and the “Every Day is a Good Day” project, but I’m not always as kind as I encourage others to be, and I don’t always have the best attitude. I’m not bursting with sunshine and joyfulness every second of the day, and I, too, have to fight for even a smile sometimes.

            But that is just the point. I’m constantly trying. I don’t wake up every day with the confidence that my day is going to be swell, because I never know what is going to happen throughout the course of the day. But I do know it is going to be a good day, possibly even a great one. It’s not an automatic solution though, don’t let me fool you. I am constantly reminding myself that every day is a gift from God. In fact, I would say I remind myself this about fifteen times a day. I have those days in school where I’m watching the clock and counting the minutes for not just school to get out, but for the entire day to be over. I have to remind myself of my project, though, and instantly I’m thinking of ways to turn things around. It’s usually not too hard, because life is pretty amazing, isn’t it? There’s so much beauty to find in a baby’s laugh, or a tree’s leaves, or a stranger’s smile. I’ve grown fond of my problems, because they are so minor. I take pride in looking back at trials that used to be road blocks for me, seeing now that they were but insects on my windshield.

            I’ve discovered recently that a lot of people think of me as “the girl who is always smiling.” I’m good with that, and I’ve never consciously thought about it, but I guess it is pretty true. I smile…a lot,  like, a weird amount. It could be interpreted as borderline creepy. It may not be normal. Like, seriously, almost always. Or, really, just always. But still, I don’t know why that is something people notice; I don’t understand why they don’t all smile just as much as I do. It’s not that I’m happy all the time, or that my life is perfect, but the fact that my life is alive is what keeps me smiling. Everyone else is living on the same planet that I am—I’m pretty sure, anyway. Everyone has an endless supply of reasons to smile and be happy. On those days you come up blank and can’t manage to find one, force it. That’s right, “fake it ‘til you make it.” Being a waitress, I’ve had to do this a lot. I have found, though, that I only have to force a fake smile for about three seconds, and from then on, it’s real for the rest of the day. The truth is, there are too many reasons to smile, and it doesn’t take long to run out of reasons not to.

Always, Anna

*Reminder: E-mail me (you can even attach a video) with your reasons for smiling along with good days, bad days you have turned around, your experience with the “Every Day is a Good Day” project, and of course, why you think every day is a good day at AnnaRose_726@Hotmail.com*