“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
— THICH NHAT HANH
Did you know that simply by smiling, you trigger a chemical reaction in your brain that boosts your mood, lowers stress and relieves pain. It’s true, and there is plenty of scientific research to prove it. It’s a pretty rad cycle, really. Smile more and you’ll feel more like smiling.
What if we apply that to our feelings, too?
Just as your smile can send a signal to your brain, your feelings can send a signal to your future. Dr. Joe Dispenza says that “familiar emotions are a record of the past.” If you’re stuck repeating feelings from the past, you future will be a reflection of your past.
On the other hand, we can consciously create forward momentum and forecast future feels by shifting our feelings. In short: feel good more and you’ll have more to feel good about.
Here’s a simple way to start. Next time you’re feeling negative or stuck in the mud, swap out the feeling for something better. Just like that feature in your Word doc. Find and replace.
Here’s a list of simple swaps you can make that will upgrade your current (and future) feels:
| DELETE THIS | REPLACE WITH |
| fear | trust |
| overwhelm | spaciousness |
| loneliness | connection |
| no time | plenty of time |
| sadness | gratitude |
| exhausted | energised |
| stuck | in flow |
| anxious | calm |
| worry | freedom |
| scarcity | abundance |
Every time you feel the undesired feeling, consciously delete and replace it. Just noticing the negative feeling and mentally repeating its positive opposite is enough to make you feel a difference.
Shift your feeling first. The rest will follow. And smile, while you’re at it, will ya?
