random reflection

this afternoon i was laying on the couch reading a book called radical acceptance and it was talking about fear and how we are conditioned to fear at a very young age. a mom scowls at her child or the parents are unaccepting of the child and thus the child becomes fearful . if the negative behavior that causes the fear happens continuasly for a long period of time the child will grow up with a sense of fear. this happens on all levels, from mild fear to disabling anxiety. so as i was reading, bayley asked me to put on the wizard of oz. i was frustrated because i had just put on a movie for her and she changed her mind. as i held the dvd up my reflection in it almost knocked me out. i was borderline scowling and i didn't even know it. how could i be so clueless i was making such a harsh face? all those wrinkles were being more and more defined and who knows what bayley thinks of this face i make. so the first step to changing something is to acknowledge it. i'm grateful i saw my not so pretty reflection in my wizard of oz dvd today. i know everyone has grumpy faces, it's part of life. i just can't help but think that not only do our expressions have an effect on others, but ourselves as well. i'm sure our souls can feel us smiling and frowning and act accordingly.

what faces do you not know you're making throughout the day??

Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. ~George Eliot


“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
Thich Nhat Hanh