As I mentioned last week, I’ve been doing a personal overhaul lately. I have been spelunking into the deep, dark recesses of my mind and pulling out the cobwebs. It’s a dirty business, I promise you.

In the process, I had a friend tell me to keep my chin up, literally. She told me that when you are looking down, your thoughts tend to go in the same direction. I started paying attention to it and I think she’s onto something. It’s akin to the research about how holding a pencil in your mouth with your teeth activates the smile muscles and starts to lift your mood.
Now, I am not sure that lifting your chin has actual research to back it up but I will tell you, anecdotally, that I noticed a few things. I look down A LOT. Now part of this is related to my job as a personal trainer. I am watching people do exercises and since I measure in at around 5’10 my average client is shorter than me so watcha gonna do?

But even when I am out walking around I tend to look toward the floor. I think it comes from all that trail running and looking out for a root or a hole but still… So I started making a point to look up and I have been missing out. I have seen some things that I otherwise would have missed.

I caught this flag on a crane near the new library site on Saturday evening.

I took this photo of the trees while at the park.

I even laid on a park bench and looked at the sky for a while. I can tell you that I have been giving the sky short shrift lately.

I even have this theory that when most people laugh the first thing they do is throw their head back. They may eventually, if something is really funny, double over in laughter but the first thing — you guessed it — chin up.

It’s Monday and that can sometimes be reason enough to be down, but Chin Up, Buttercup. You never know what you are missing up there.

Sunshine & Sarcasm,
Lowi & G