Smile and Be Here

Yesterday I needed a change.

There’s a lot going on in my life presently, much of which very challenging (and some beautiful). At the same time, I seem unusually emotional as well. It’s all rather distracting, really.

Since there isn’t much I can do in the short term about the many challenges I’m facing, I remembered that one way out of the conundrum is to change my attitude and, to some degree, my expectations. Nothing new here, Descartes wrote about this in 1637 in his Discourse on Method.

My third maxim was to endeavor always to conquer myself rather than fortune, and change my desires rather than the order of the world, and in general, accustom myself to the persuasion that, except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power; so that when we have done our best in things external to us, all wherein we fail of success is to be held, as regards us, absolutely impossible: and this single principle seemed to me sufficient to prevent me from desiring for the future anything which I could not obtain, and thus render me contented.
—René Descartes, Discourse on Method

I haven’t been a very astute student of mindfulness, but I know enough of it to see that it can help here. By being fully present, I’m not thinking about the many things I’m missing or am afraid to lose. By worrying, all I’m achieving is suffering twice: once while worrying about something, and once when it happens. Learning to become more present in the moment doesn’t solve the issues at hand, but it alleviates the worries.

I also remembered the idea that mood follows action. Could the mere act of smiling already change my mood for the better?

So I’m now wearing a green rubber bracelet. Its sole purpose is to remind me to smile and be here.

It’s very, very difficult. I’m extremely distracted. But I’m thankful that I’ve found this trick. I hope it works.