The way we feel upon waking can shape the course of an entire day. But perhaps our mood is not entirely beyond our control. A small physical gesture—such as lifting the corners of the mouth—may help us regain calm, and over time, such modest efforts may even influence how we experience the later years of life.
People say that a good beginning leads to a good ending, and it is certainly true that much of the mood of a day is determined by how we feel when we wake up.
If I have slept well, open the window to find a blue sky, and breathe in the fresh air, that alone seems enough to promise a pleasant day.
But when I have had an unpleasant dream, woken several times during the night, and am greeted by the gray skies of the rainy season, as I was this morning, I somehow cannot get going.
The thought of spending the entire day in such a mood makes me feel gloomy. So, to prevent that from happening, I would like to cheer myself up by writing something positive.
As someone suggested in a comment yesterday, lifting the corners of my mouth really does seem to make me feel calmer.
After a while, however, the muscles in my face grow tired, and when I stop, my mood begins to sink again.
Then I think, “Oh dear,” lift them once more, and find myself returning to a calmer state. It is a curious thing.
I would like to keep the corners of my mouth raised all day today, though I wonder whether that is really possible.
If I managed it, I might have a remarkably good day.
Every part of the body works in coordination with every other part.
The human body stops growing at around the age of thirty, and from then on, it gradually begins to decline.
Even so, each part of the body develops its own ability to adapt, continually trying to maintain a comfortable state.
Apart from illness, we continue aging in this way until we die. And I sometimes feel that how we spend those nearly fifty years may determine whether our lives become better ones—or otherwise.
Perhaps even my remaining years would improve a little if I could do something about this habitually stern expression of mine.
And if I could be smiling at the moment of death, then surely I could say, “All’s well that ends well.”
Perhaps a good life begins not with constant happiness, but with the quiet effort to return to a gentler state of mind.
・・・
shape the course of something
To strongly influence how something develops or progresses.
何かの成り行きや展開を大きく左右すること。
beyond one’s control
Impossible for someone to manage, change, or prevent.
自分では管理したり変えたりできないこと。
lift the corners of one’s mouth
To raise the sides of the mouth slightly, as if beginning to smile.
口角を上げること。
get going
To begin functioning, working, or feeling energetic.
調子を出す、活動を始める。
gloomy
Sad, discouraged, or lacking hope.
憂鬱な、気分の沈んだ。
cheer oneself up
To do something that helps improve one’s mood.
自分自身を元気づける。
work in coordination with
To function together in an organized and connected way.
互いに連携して働く。
adapt
To change or adjust in order to cope with new conditions.
状況に応じて適応する。
habitually stern expression
A serious or unfriendly-looking facial expression that someone often has.
いつも浮かべている険しい表情、仏頂面。
All’s well that ends well.
An expression meaning that difficulties along the way matter less if the final result is good.
途中に問題があっても、最後がよければすべてよい、という意味の表現。
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