Monday Smiles – 10/7/2013
The data unequivocally showed that Mondays are as pleasant to Americans as the three days that follow, and only a trifle less joyful than Fridays – The New York Times
According to researchers, Monday mornings are so depressing that, on average, we don’t crack our first smile until 11:16 a.m. – The Huffington Post
I am a morning person. That means I get busy early not that I bound out of bed, smiling and singing. These days, I roll out of bed slowly, stretching to see which joints ache with no good reason other than age. I take my morning meds … something for the blood sugar, something for the heartburn and a little something to keep depression at bay … then find a place to write. That would either be the park, my office or the recliner in the family room. Today, it’s the office. Given my personality, if I haven’t smiled well before 11:16 a.m. the Monday gloom is unlikely to lift, and, at least according to the Times, that’s bad news for the rest of the week. Hence, Monday Smiles. It is now 8:45 am. The clock is ticking.
I found a post on Tiny Buddha – simple wisdom for complex times titled 51 Things That Will Make You Smile. It is a very nice list that I’d highly recommend, although some of the items … say, Rearrange your furniture or Go out and buy a hula hoop … don’t seem appropriate for a 69 year-old male. I could hurt myself! And Ask a child to do your hair won’t work for a bald grandfather whose grandchildren are seven hours away. I particularly like:
3. Read a letter, card, or email from someone who thought of you when you were going through a hard time
8. Post on your Facebook page, “What made you smile today?”
34. Grab your camera and go outside with a mission to capture things that make you happy
36. Tell someone how much they mean to you. Say all the things that might make you feel kind of vulnerable, and then think about how special you just made them feel.
Then there’s Number 46 – Create a gratitude list for the day, including the smallest details (a fluffy pillow) and the biggest things (your health and your family). I rummaged through my media library and found this video I made for Thanksgiving back in 2011.
It was just what I needed. It’s Monday. It’s 9:41. I’m smiling. Now, excuse me … I need to do 3, 8, 34, and 36. Have a good week.
Explore posts in the same categories: Monday smilesTags: gratitude, mindfulness, Monday smiles, postaday, psychology, smiles
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Older Eyes 
October 7, 2013 at 10:47 am
I loved that video! It’s 10:46 and I finally cracked my first smile. Thanks!
October 8, 2013 at 10:34 pm
Glad to help …
October 7, 2013 at 3:00 pm
That video is AWESOME.What a wonderful compilation of things to be grateful for. BTW ..what a beautiful family you have.
October 8, 2013 at 10:36 pm
I had forgotten all about the video. I was really struggling to come up with smiles until I found it. It’s sad but the things that I’ve been struggling with lately are likely to affect my seeing the grandkids, at least in the short term.
October 7, 2013 at 6:39 pm
It’s a bit late now as I just read your post/viewed the awesome video too -like 9:33 p.m. But trust me, these days -even on Mondays -I have something that makes me smile within moments after I manage to roll out of bed! She’s called Lola Rae and she’s my gorgeous little 8-month-old GREAT-granddaughter! Technically, she’s my step-great-granddaughter but who gives a rip about the step things! She’s my great-granddaughter as far as I’m concerned and she and her Momma are currently residing with me, and giving me smiles every day -except for the two weekends a month she goes to stay with her Dad and his parents! Boring weekends they have become although this past weekend was nice because Maya and Kurtis (and their Momma) were here from Saturday afternoon till Sunday afternoon and this week, I get to drive half-way to Harrisburg to meet them and pick them up and bring them up here till Sunday afternoon when they have to return home. (They could stay till Monday afternoon as they don’t have school this Friday or next Monday but there Mother was whining about she wanted to see her kids sometime too! Selfish wench she is when she has them every day of the week otherwise and I only get a stinky little long-weekend once in a blue moon ya know. But better believe it when I say I’m smiling even over a long-weekend right now! Children really do have an extra special ability to make us smile, don’t they?
October 8, 2013 at 10:38 pm
Yes they do. part of what been making me gloomy lately are some family matters that will probably affect me seeing my grandkids, at least for a while ’til it resolves itself.
October 8, 2013 at 2:58 am
[…] to fellow blogger Older Eyes, the Huffington Post says that Mondays are so depressing that the average American doesn’t […]
October 8, 2013 at 4:39 am
Hi, I was so inspired by your blog, I wrote a post. I put a link to you. Hope you like it.
October 8, 2013 at 8:21 am
Thank you so much. It is always nice to be inspiring. And yes, I liked your post very much. I will be by later to comment and read some more.
October 8, 2013 at 7:25 pm
I’m pretty sure I saw that video on the first go round, but it made me smile all over again.
October 8, 2013 at 10:33 pm
As my inspiration for starting Monday Smiles, I’m g;lad I could make you smile.