| Children don’t have the challenge of being happy | | | | open and creative course of instruction. Instead of |
| and playful. The average child laughs over 300 times | | | | forcing students to be quiet and constricted to a list |
| per day while the average adult laughs under 20 | | | | of rules and regulations – students are now |
| times per day. Which strategy do you think will add | | | | encouraged to smile, clap and interact with each |
| more joy to life? | | | | other, offering group support and a positive |
| When we get older, we set limitations on our ability | | | | atmosphere. |
| to be positive. We start to take life too seriously. | | | | Naturally, you are also not limited to spending time in |
| We begin to design a set of regulations and rules | | | | an environment that has a lighthearted approach to |
| that determine whether or not we should smile and | | | | self-growth. Regardless of your needs, it is highly |
| express our joy. Try making it easy to smile, easy | | | | unlikely that you will have too much joy in your life. |
| to be positive. | | | | So, instead of just contemplating what you do, also |
| See how it will change your overall performance in all | | | | consider the overall feelings of joy you get from the |
| areas of your life. You might ask, “what is | | | | time you invest each day. You can certainly |
| there to laugh about?” How about that it could | | | | participate in a physically strenuous exercise and still |
| add eight years to your life? Not a bad trade if you | | | | enjoy the process. The key is to ensure that you |
| ask me. | | | | are indeed maintaining a playful attitude towards your |
| It isn’t always easy to maintain a youthful and | | | | life. |
| playful approach toward life. With so much of our | | | | I find this easiest to do when you set up some of |
| outside world telling us what to do and when to do | | | | your own rules and regulations for allowing time for |
| it, how does one even find the time to consider the | | | | such happiness to flourish. This could be done by |
| positive results of a young mindset? | | | | engaging in activities that are conducive to a happy |
| In the past, traditional martial arts were very strict. | | | | state of mind. One of the best strategies used by |
| This was a strategy for building strong men and | | | | many successful individuals is the act of starting off |
| women. However, it also leads to a very rigid and | | | | each and every day with a wide smile, a long stretch, |
| boring approach to self-growth. This straight line | | | | and a breath of fresh air. But before we do, we |
| philosophy only limits a person’s full potential as a | | | | have to get out of bed. This can often be a big |
| martial artist. More modern systems offer a more | | | | challenge in itself. |