Happy Friday Archives - Page 3 of 3

Simon and Garfunkel Ticket (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Susan Silver again brings us a fantabulously cheery post to mark our second installment in The Happy Friday Series. She shares the top five cheery songs to change your mood, and let’s see which ones she picks.

Susan Silver Says:

I have always been a pretty empathic kid, which means that I often internalize the emotions of the world around me. When the dark clouds start gathering, there is a friend who will always comfort me. I simply turn to the nearest internet radio and play my feel good playlist. These are my Top 6 in no particular order. You only need a hit of one of these to get you through the dreariest of days.

You Might Just be the One – The Monkees

I was initiated at a young age and this song has remained a favorite ever since.

I Love You More Today than Yesterday – Spiral Staircase

I can never get this song out of my head when I hear it on the radio, but the truth is I don’t want to.

Listen to the Music- Doobie Brothers

I started listening to a greatest hits album on Spotify and become hooked on their unique sound.

Commandante – Mountain Goats

This comes from John Darnielle’s Lofi period when he couldn’t afford to record in a studio.

Late in the Evening – Simon and Garfunkel

From the concert in Central Park, the album I grew up with.

Sure, these are not represented by many modern songs nor do they represent how diverse people’s tastes really are. I chose these songs because they have universal appeal. The positive energy drips from the musical notes and gives you a fine injection of positivity. The next time you are feeling rundown, close your eyes and drift away on a song.

What does your feel good playlist look like?

Susan Silver blogs at CirqueduMot and also 12Most.com. She is a copywriter and community manager. We enjoy having her post any time for this community!

Smile fasdfdsfoiueire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thrilled to launch our first in The Happy Friday Series post kick off with none other than Peg Fitzpatrick, the most smilingist 12 Moster, blogger, Facebooker, and Twitter peep I have the privilege of knowing. You hang around her and there’s nothing you can do but smile; she imbues positive. See what I mean?

Peggy Fitzpatrick Says:

Which came first the smile or the positive attitude? Did you know that it can go either way? If you’re feeling stressed putting on a smile can actually reduce your heart rate and some studies also suggest that “smiling could reduce levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone.” (from Simply Smiling link below) This is a case where “fake it ‘til you make it” is relevant.

“Lots of smiling can actually make you healthier. Smiling can help reduce the level of stress-enhancing hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine; increase the level of mood-enhancing hormones like endorphin; and reduce overall blood pressure.” –Ron Gutman

TED Talk Ron Gutman – The Hidden Power of Smiling

The best thing about a smile is that if you share one with someone else, it almost always comes back to you. When someone smiles at you, your mind makes subtle judgments: they are happy, they like me, they are confident, and things along these lines. Take the opportunity to make a positive impression on others.

“If you want to make a good first impression, smile at people. What does it cost to smile? Nothing. What does it cost not to smile? Everything, if not smiling prevents you from enchanting people.”
? Guy Kawasaki from Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions

“Children smile almost 400 times per day.” This explains why people love to spend time at the park or other places where children run free. Smiling, laughing, and having fun come naturally to children and they look for ways to enhance or repeat things that they enjoy. Sure, kids have much less stress than adults but I defy you not to smile if you go to the park and get on the swing set. It’s still fun but it also probably brings back happy memories of recess and playing with your friends.

Three things that you can do today to bring a smile to your face:

Watch something positive like Jessica’s Daily Affirmation.
Listen to happy music, I wrote an article called 12 Most Must-Be Happy Songs if you need some suggestions
Smile at someone else

So, there you have it, many reasons why you should and can have a smile on your face. What are your favorite ways to make someone else smile?

Resources:

Simply Smiling can Actually Reduce Stress via Smithsonian.com