June 11, 2017
This week I'm getting personal but this is NOT me throwing my husband under the bus! Everyone who knows him agrees that he's always super happy, super funny, super sad, super mad, or at least super loud 99.5% of the time but he's also the love of my life, my rock-solid #1 fan, and a truly decent human being.
This morning something got under his skin and he was expressing annoyance in his typically super-large way...there I was, listening, and feeling a little bit overwhelmed (like I typically do under the circumstances) and getting ready to react in my typically nonplussed way (which isn't a bad way to react but it's a reaction nonetheless and reactions in and of themselves are not always helpful.)
Are any of you Marvel comic fans? WELL I AM!!! And all of a sudden it occurred to me that my husband actually has a Superpower called "being-larger-than-life-in-every-way"...next thing I know I'm cracking up, then he starts cracking up (super loudly of course) because I’m cracking up and the whole situation turned completely around! I'm honestly thinking I might look at every conversation with husband from here on out in an entirely differently way :o)
Did you know it actually requires more muscular effort to frown than to smile? And being able to find humor in all situations is actually considered a sign of intelligence? (Plus people like that are a heck of a lot easier to live with, right?)
So here's a homework assignment for you: next time you feel stressed out just try to find something to smile about then simply notice how you feeI...I imagine your blood pressure will drop, your heart rate will slow, you'll less "catastrophic," and generally more comfortable all over!!!
(And I really didn't intend this blog to turn into another shameless plug for T'aI Chi Chih but increased joy is a well-documented side effect of regular TCC practice so click here for info on my next class!)
