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"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

This quote reminds me of a professor I had in junior college. He was an elderly, short, stout man, with white hair and a pot belly. He always wore a white dress shirt and black slacks, yet always managed to look disheveled. To say he was out of touch with the modern education system would be an understatement. For example, one day he had us practice our penmanship - something I had not done since grade school. Despite all this, he taught me one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned. He told our class that if we were ever upset or in a bad mood we should skip. That's right, skip (that thing you used to do when you were a child whenever walking became far too boring). "It's impossible to skip without smiling!" he said. Later that week I decided to put skipping to the test. And... he was right! It's really not possible to skip without smiling. It's an instant mood booster and has the strange effect of putting your troubles into perspective. I have since passed on this wisdom of skipping to several friends, who have all confirmed its effects. However, if skipping just isn't your style (after all, someone is bound to notice an adult skipping down the street, which to my mind is half the fun), why not try Thich Nhat Hanh's method and just smile?! It could very well be the source of your joy.