The other morning, while I was in a deep sleep, a 35-pound ball of fluffy fur with four legs, all of which were wet from her morning walk, pounced on me to wake me up! I looked into this adorable face, and while I admit to groaning a bit, I chuckled as I thought we should all have this kind of energy and wonderful attitude upon waking! My furry friend was not to be deterred. She all but begged me to wake up and start to play! So, of course, I woke up, and I had a smile on my face. My grand-dog, Penny, has exuberance! (Disclaimer here – did I really just type “grand-dog”?!)
I related this story to my friend, Shelly, at my acupuncturist office (Tian Shi Acupuncture), and she thought it was delightful! We discussed the possibility of humans having this kind of exuberance every day – maybe it would make each of our days just a little bit better and maybe even the world a more wonderful place?
Positivity, joyfulness, excitement – all things we can easily lose track of as we go about our daily lives – are traits that can make us feel better and translate to better health. Sure, life can throw curveballs that dim even the most shining light within us. And, I’m not saying we need to walk around with smiley faces constantly. However, when we can try to see something good about each day, we can reduce our stress, lower our blood pressure, and improve our bodily functions.
Think about your personal exuberance. Do you have it?
Do you start each day anxious and eager to play (translate this to work for us humans)? Do you begin your day with a good thought? A daily affirmation? A word of thanks or prayer that another day has presented itself to you to be YOUR day?
If not, begin to think how you can be more positive. Think of ONE thing to be joyful and happy about each day. You may begin to eat more healthfully, keep up with or start a movement program, and just f-e-e-l better.
Now, we can’t all have this little dog’s charmed existence, but I truly believe we can find something to be exuberant about! Give it a try!
To Your Vitality!
