As I may have hinted, I enjoy psychological experimentation quite a bit. It is a learning event that really encompasses everything that we are. Learning how we think almost seems like a paradox at time - the mind examining the mind - but none-the-less it can be quite telling of who we are as a species, and as an entity.
I have done various experiments throughout the years, most concerning how I view things, and bettering myself, especially examining my abilities to over come obstacles (anxiety, depression, panic & fear - see http://learningasanart.blogspot.com/2012/03/psychology-of-panic-attacks.html for panic & anxiety, more to come on depression and fear later!).
This next one will not necessarily be for self-improvement but simply for the learning aspect. I will be waking up every day and purposefully putting a smile on my face. Although I dread the sound of my alarm, as soon as I wake, I will greet the day with a grin the size of a watermelon, dress myself with happy thoughts, and seize the day like nobodie's ever seized something before! The experiment will consist of 3-4 days of the wake-n-smile, a consistent thinking of good thoughts, and a general enjoyment of nearly every moment.
Some feedback I've gotten from another site has already proven true; the mind is a balancing act in some respects, and being happy 24/7 every waking moment of your life is arguably impossible, although being consitently content with yourself, I believe, is achievable. It is also difficult to make yourself happy - it seems counter intuitive; that happiness can just be synthesize by a smile and a good thought, but it is a very real possibility - try it right now, put a smile on your face! See? Makes you want to smile even more! The biggest problem I face is how I have already tied these ideas to smiling (doh!) now every time I smile I think about the counter-part which is self-defeating, but we will see how this goes.
The idea came to me the other day while I was at work. I was walking down the isle to my cubicle (I know... I know!) and I stared at my felt wall or whatever you'd like to call it - the fuzzy partitions. I don't very much care for them, but don't give them much thought. But something happened, randomly and I became very happy with this peice of melted and molded plastic that surrounded me. I felt very nice, very content. I wondered why, and if everything could be like this, could I enjoy anything I chose? Well of course, but somethings are harder then others (you won't catch me enjoying a baby seal hunt any time soon).
The very end result of this will be for a psychonautic analysis. Will being happy for an entire straight day increase my happiness in the coming days, or will it be a draining event? For the 3-4 day build up, it will ultimately be for the 5th day that I see whether the phrase "What goes up must come down" holds true for the mind's embrace on happiness.
Since this is a shorter post I will end it with a poem;
What goes up must come down,
And down may be a frown-
But eyes hold true,
To the upward blue,
And happiness can be held.
The open days,
Of love-filled rays,
That bask,
And bathe the skin;
Are true rewards,
Of realized lore,
And attempts to
Renew.
Have fun! Good luck! Feel free to contact me.
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