If You’re Happy and You Know It, Let Your Face Know! by Dr. Marissa Pei
If you’re Happy and you know it, let your face know!
by Dr. Marissa Pei aka Asian Oprah
Growing up, I was told that “money doesn’t grow on trees” and “happiness is fleeting”. That may explain why the majority of us walk around responding to the question, “How are you?” with the response, “I’m OK” with a big sigh and downcast eyes. Or, we might respond with, “I’m F.I.N.E.”, which actually stands for Feffed up, Irrational, Neurotic and Emotional!
Why? Because many of us have forgotten that it is our birthright to be happy 88% of the time. We have flatlined into a middle-of-the-road emotional state of being. Why “88”? If we are 100% happy, we would be dead! As human beings, it’s not possible to be happy 100% of the time... we need the contrast to know when we are happy and when we are sad.
In America, we are going through a bit of an unhappiness epidemic. In the time before the pandemic, what I’m calling #bc19, 1 in 4 Americans were on antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication. Unfortunately for many, not only did the meds not work, the anxiety was exacerbated by dangerous side-effects. With the pandemic, the numbers became worse. Why so much unhappiness? One possible explanation might be the contrast between the “American Dream,” which ends up feeling more like an American Nightmare! How many of you have said, “I'll be happy when I finish school. I'll be happy when I get married. I’ll be happy when I have that new car. I’ll be happy when blah blah blah”. Well, are you happy? My guess is you might be for today... but then you'll start worrying about the job, career, family, money, the next goal... and then the "I'll be happy when" starts again. That's the Perfectionistic Dis-Ease with Life.
So how do you treat this Dis-Ease with Life? My prescription is to Take a Bite of my Gratitude Sandwich! Dr. Wayne Dyer says list 5 specific things (but I’m an overachiever, so I say 8...) you are grateful for every morning, before your mind starts racing with all the things you have to do. This morning I was grateful for my delicious coffee, for the fresh smell of my pillow, for my super comfy mattress, that I could work on Zoom with no pants on, for my children’s book going on E-book, and being nominated for an award, that the planets didn’t crash into each other while I slept, and that my liver worked without me telling it to.
At night before you sleep, list 8 specific things that you appreciate about yourself. If you can’t approve of yourself, how the fork can you expect others to?! For example, I’m kind, caring, creative, innovative, funny (even though my wasband didn’t think so) fashionable, confident and positively opinionated! It’s much easier to fall asleep in appreciation than in worry. There’s a Native American saying: Worry is a prayer for bad things to happen.
The idea behind my Gratitude Sandwich is that we can train our minds to begin looking at the positive things in life. WHY? Not because it’s the right thing to do; simply, it just makes us FEEL G.O.O.D (Great, Optimistic, Open, Dynamic), and not F.I.N.E. !! When we start our day with gratitude, it trains us to be attentive with what’s right with the world. Don’t let your attention be hijacked by all of the ugly that is readily available in media and social media, also known as weapons of Mass Distraction! The bottom line is that we can have a new day everyday where we can laugh, love, respect, create, and choose happiness.
Take a deep breath in right now and let yourself relax into the Present, which is a Gift of Life. Now smile and remember that ”You are One of a Kind Wonderful”. It’s your birthright, now claim it and Choose Happiness!
Bio - Dr. Marissa Pei
Dr. Marissa, celebrity host producer of the 2016 Podcast of the Year Top 10 in Health Award winning show "Take My Advice, I'm Not Using It: Get Balanced with Dr. Marissa" is an organizational psychologist, speaking and consulting all over the world motivating individuals and organizations to be happy 88% of the time. Her show guests include bestselling authors like Dr. John Gray and Don Miguel Ruiz, Marianne Williamson to MaryAnn from Gilligan’s Island and Muhammed Ali’s daughter Laila Ali. She moonlights as a Red Carpet MC and Broadcast Journalist interviewing stars like Halle Berry, John Travolta and Quincy Jones who use their limelight to highlight causes that help heal our Planet.
Dr. Marissa’s newest book “8 Ways to Happiness from Wherever You Are” has hit 8 Bestseller Lists including #4 Denver Post and #1 Amazon and 4 Book Award Medals, becoming the foundation to her Happy88 Mission, helping 8 million more people be 88% happy in the next 8 years. To that end, Dr. Marissa, introduced to Oprah as the Asian Oprah, has been interviewed on NBC CBS ABC and FOX in Seattle, San Diego, Las Vegas and was featured on FOX DC as one of their Women's History Month highlights.
In her spare seconds, she raises recovering teenagers (the younger one edits my articles), races sailboats and lives out her life motto: No Regrets for the past and Don’t Die Wondering for the future.
For a personalized autographed copy of the book, or the audiobook, a free Happy Tip Sheet or to schedule a Zoom Get Happy Coaching Session, join her #happy88 tribe at www.DrMarissa.Life
If you shop on Amazon, you can support her new Non-Profit 8 Ways to Happiness 501c by using the Smile link, and it will receive a small percentage from Amazon to be able to provide books and programs to teens and young adults who have temporarily lost their way to their birthright of happiness 88% of the time! And you can also use the link to purchase the book there as well! Thank you for your support!!
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/85-1103967