Blogpost: Happiness is Contagious

“If I were any happier, I would be twins” said one of my members as he smiled ear to ear. He is 84 and had just come into the office after chatting with a 91 year old in the parking lot. Both of them were happy and smiling with a youthful spring in their step. Another plus to having a wellness practice. My mother, the Diva did the arrangement pictured above for my table. It is the bloom from our ornamental ginger growing in the backyard. Last week it was the flower of our dill plant, and the week before some wild flowers. I tease and call her Eloise, because she is always creating something useful out of simple things.

I am blesed to have such experiences on a daily basis. Time to smile and marvel over what people around me come up with. The difference I see is not what stresses and challenges people face, but how they react to them.

Sometimes, it is just the phrase that is used that changes ones entire perspective. I went out for my long run Saturday and had that very experience. During Ironman training season, I build duration of training and mileage each week. I have stated that my week gets more difficult heading into the weekend. As I was starting my run, I thought 15 miles and then several hours of yard work. It is going to be hot and tiring. Some people call training suffering. Then it hit me that being outside is my favorite thing, and a doing a long run, I had the opportunity to be outside, enjoying screen-free time and the outdoors, doing things that I love. Running is my meditation or peace. Sometimes, I run with a podcast, or audiobook and sometimes just listening to the sounds around me. Both are peaceful. Florida yard work can be quite steamy, but on the other hand I am outside moving getting more endurance work in. I also like the way things look when it is finished. Not suffering but joy. It was all in how I framed it.

Try observing the people around you that have a positive outlook. Try to create a positive environement for someone else perhaps and observe their reaction. See just how contagious it is.