Smile

Try a little exercise. You won’t break a sweat, in fact you won’t even really have to think about it. It is really, really easy and it's something you can do wherever you are, no matter what you're doing, no matter who you're with. In fact it’s better if it’s with someone. Ready? OK. Take a breath and... smile. That's it. Just smile. It may feel a little silly at first, but you know what? Who cares? Let it feel silly and if it does, so what? Just let that feed your smile. A smile, even if it's just to yourself, can be very powerful. And, it turns out there's a reason why.

There's something called the facial feedback hypothesis and what it says is that facial expressions of emotion can actually encourage that emotion within us. So if we scowl, we might feel very serious or angry, if we frown, we might feel sad and if we smile... Even if you have to force it, the position of the muscles in your face spark the nerve endings to send messages to your brain that say, "happy." Even if you aren't happy your brain gets impulses that say you are. It's a neat little brain trick and it really works. Now it's not going change your life but sure can help change a tough moment.

Imagine starting every morning by just remembering to smile before you do anything else.

Existentialism in a Comic Strip

This is a wonderful description of existentialism, which I love as a way to work. Who knew all those tattered Peanuts paperbacks scattered around my room as a kid were leading me toward a greater understanding of human nature?

Existentialism has been accused of being defeatist and depressing (and Sartre didn’t help his cause with terms like ‘abandonment’, ‘despair’, and ‘nausea’). But Peanuts also demonstrates the optimism of the philosophy. Why does Charlie Brown continue to go out to the pitcher’s mound, despite his 50 year losing streak? Why try to kick the football, when Lucy has always pulled it away at the last second? Because there is an infinite gap between the past and the present. Regardless of what has come before, there is always the possibility of change. Monstrous freedom is a double edged sword. We exist, and are responsible. This is both liberating and terrifying. - Nathan Radke "Sartre & Peanuts"