Dominica Island News Blog: Sharing Every Dominican Moment with the World

Those were the days when you could travel to any island in the Caribbean, and be greeted with a genuine smile from a complete stranger. I’m guessing with energy prices and the cost of living is on a steady rise people don’t have much to smile about. Nowadays a simple smile is slowly turning into an art form.

We are all sensitive to this genuine scale, so why then is it that when we cross paths with a stranger or casual acquaintance in the line at the bank, we give them a fake smile? That ‘polite smile’. You know what I’m talking about (don’t get me wrong, I do this too, unconscious at supermarket, on streets, while waiting for something.).

In reality, there isn’t any art behind it. Just that you were born to be happy, and you can show this happiness with that beautiful smile of yours. C’mon! Let’s see it …Okay, that’s enough.

Here are some noticeable effects of externalizing your internal joy are:

People will be attracted to you - I don’t mean that in no sexual way (well, I can remember this time …), but people will feel drawn to your energy. When you smile more, you will carry an aura and poise that will draw people to you, and they will look forward to being around you, knowing only that they feel great around you.

Positive - You’ll feel more optimistic about yourself and the world.

Happiness & Joy - Like an upward spiral, a smile will boost the happiness you feel - an expression of happiness and joy in you.

Healthy - A smile can affect your internal state, which can have physiological impact on your physical and mental health.

Approachable - A smile is so welcoming and will make people feel more at ease.
Making Other People Happy - A smile is heart-warming and has the power to cheer up others and make them feel good about themselves instantly.

Smiles Are Contagious - Others can quickly and easily catch it and will experience the above ‘side effects’.

What makes you smile? Who made you smile today? Share your joy and happiness in a comment!

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One of the problems growing in our daily lives is that many of us rush through the day, with no time for anything – we trying to do too many things in one day… and as a result we have time to get a bite to eat, we just gobble it down. That leads to stress to on our bodies, which is unhealthy living. With one simple but powerful act of eating slower, we can begin to feel better and reverse that lifestyle immediately. How hard is it? You take smaller bites, chew each bite slower and longer and you enjoy your meal longer…that’s it!

It takes a few minutes extra each meal, and yet it can have profound effects.

If you read the Slow Food Manifesto, you’ll see that it’s not just about health — it’s about a lifestyle. And whether you want to adopt that lifestyle or not, there are some reasons you should consider the simple act of eating slower:

Lose weight. - Research have confirm that just by eating slower, you’ll consume fewer calories — in fact, enough to lose 15 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different. The reason is that it takes about 20 minutes for our brains to register that we’re full. If we eat fast, we can continue eating past the point where we’re full. If we eat slowly, we have time to realize we’re full, and stop.

Enjoy your food. This reason is just as powerful, in my opinion. It’s hard to enjoy your food if it goes by too quickly. In fact, I think its fine to eat sinful (high cholesterol) foods, if you eat a small amount slowly. Think about it: you want to eat sinful foods (desserts, fried foods, pizza, etc.) because they taste good. But if you eat them fast, what’s the point? If you eat them slowly, you can get the same amount of great taste, but with less going into your stomach. That’s math that works for me.

Better digestion. If you eat slower, you’ll chew your food better, which leads to better digestion. Digestion actually starts in the mouth, so the more work you do up there; the less you’ll have to do in your stomach. This can help lead to fewer digestive problems.

Less stress. Eating slowly, and paying attention to our eating, can be a great form of mind exercise. Be in the moment, rather than rushing through meal thinking about what you need to do next. When you eat, you should eat. In my opinion I believe, it will lead to a less stressful life, and long-term happiness. Try it out.

Dominica, like most of the other Caribbean Islands is slowly turning into the – Fast Life- which will eventually lead us to eating Fast Food, and eating it quickly. This is a lifestyle can dehumanize us, making us unhealthy, stressed out and unhappy. For those of us who rush through our day, doing one mindless task after another, without taking the time to live life or enjoy life - That’s not a good thing in my book.

Try the small act of eating slower. Don’t eat Fast Food. Eat at a good restaurant, or better yet, cook your own food and enjoy it fully. Taste life itself.

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Photo by:David Shankbone

Angels can fly because they take things lightly – Anonymous

I believe everyone on this earth knows or have met someone who just takes things to serious most of the times – the classic tight-jawed sourpuss who takes everything with deathly seriousness and never laughs at anything. No fun there (stay away from me.)

True some events are clearly sad and not occasions for laughter, but don’t carry an overwhelming sense of sadness or delight. Most fall into the gray zone of ordinary life, and they give us the choice to laugh or not. If all of this sounds similar to you, here are some ways you can use to lighten up or to help someone else lighten up.

• View your life in context. While we might think taking the weight of the world on our shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy and even egotistical.
• Be less serious. Realize that while your ambitions may be noble, being overly serious about them weighs you down and lessens your chances for achieving them. So it wouldn’t hurt to smile once in awhile.
• Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and laughter.
• Dress less seriously.
Keep a toy on your desk or in your ride.
• Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take ourselves less seriously is talk about times when we took ourselves too seriously.
• Hang around children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

Cheer up Dominica

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