Have you ever impersonated a happy person?

"Fake it till you make it Jody". My mothers famous words to me when I was a teenager. That has lived true for me through several dark times in my life. I found this to be my starting point, impersonating a happy person. I feel like at this stage I have found my happy place. The place inside of me that I can go for comfort. I actually found it through my child birth experiences. I feel like I know my whole self, not just my happy self, in so many ways. It has taken a lot of work, self evaluating and constructive criticism but there are still those days that I wake up and put a smile on face, and fake it till I make it, and usually those days turn around.

I think all of us have done this at one point in our lives. There was a time when I was like this for a whole year. I tried to project a happy me. I hid how I really feel about ancertain situation and pretended that everything was okay and that I was doing good. I didnt want my family to worry. And i didnt want my friends to see me like that. Maybe I hated others pitying me but at that time, I just didnt want added attention or special treatment just because the odds werent at my side. So I was like that for a year. Throughout the day I would pretend to be okay but at the end, when I go home, I feel really sad. There are times when I even cry. When that dilemma ended, it was the only time when I told my friends about the real deal.

I typically wear my emotions on my sleeve. I've never learned how to hide them from anybody. I suppose I do try to hide them while I'm at work.. I mean you have to most of the time, don't you? But then again in the past I've always been the type that when I begin to dislike my job I just quit. I've never been in a position where I needed to keep my job (except once). When I was younger I always had a fall back. I had a friend who ran her own business and it was good money to work for her (but it had a lot of negatives about it too.. long story won't get into it). Also my family had a delivery company which I could fall back on, but of course I usually hardly made enough to pay the gas money I'd use! Anyways, if I decided I didn't like the job I was working I could always go to one of those until I got tired of it and found a regular job again.. Then once I got married I had my husband's money to fall back on, so could quit and just not work. The only time I ever knew I had to keep my job was during a time I didn't have a car and my job was within walking distance (2 miles away). When I started hating that job I actually starting looking for a different one, and didn't quit until I got it.. something I'd never done before! I'm hoping I can keep it in my head that this time there's no quitting! I want to keep this job long term so that when I start sending out resumes for a clerical position I have long term, recent employment to show!

I think I do this.. try to every day. Deep down I may or may not be totally unhappy. It's really hard to tell these days. I put on my big fake smile and positive attitude at work or when I'm out doing something social with friends - and when I get home, it either wears off or continues on. After a while it seems like I lose track of what's really going on in my mind and what the attitude I made myself have that day is. Does that make sense? But I once heard or read somewhere that eventually, if you pretend long enough, it actually starts to become reality. I don't know though. This is a very cognitive-type question, a kind that I often don't take the time to think about in every day life. Ha.

All day everyday as I have and am going through a great deal. I do not do it because I am trying to impress by no means but it is my way of trying to remain as positive as I can. I have my break down moments and quickly try to remember that I must have hope and be positive. I am not good at boo hooing and discussing any issues with people, as I find that if I do it makes me feel worse as I am hearing my issues out loud. So I try to not have the outer me reflect the inner me as truly the world does not need to know what a wreck I have.

I know that faux smile and wear it well. Yes, I do know that happy person inside of me and she'll find her way back eventually. One thing I do know that truly works... if you smile, sadness is difficult to feel. Seriously! Try it right now... Smile! Smile and think sad thoughts. It's hard to do both at the same time. So when I find myself in emotional pain--I smile--and it truly dissipates. Another trick a friend taught me... spread a big grin on your face as you lay your head down to sleep. You will be surprised to awaken with a smile on your face and in your spirit. I think we really can find our happy selves through conditioning; much the same way we can find our sad selves through same. Great question, Bounce!

Hey bro! Here we go again!lol Another one of those "loaded" questions for your "sistah" to put her 1/2 cent in! You already know my answer, I'm sure! I am not good at hiding my feelings at all. And I don't think I could even try to impersonate a happy person because I don't remember what it feels like do be happy~ (Yup, here I go again, Opal downer) My cats make me happy, so I could pretend I'm thinking about them??? You make me happy, how's that for a response!

t is a coping mechanism that people use so that no one knows that they are hurting and it can be cultural too - to show hurt feelings in public may be considered to be bad manners. Me? I have to talk if I am hurting -just have to tell someone

When I have to..I just impersonate me happy. I think there are times when we all have to put on our happy faces. Everyone has tough times. When I have dome it..it's been mostly at work. I feel like have to put on a certain demeanor there. I can't go in there with a chip on my shoulder. It's not fair to the people I work with if I carry my sorrows there.

All of us go into a rut at some time in life. Sometimes several times! How we react is usually some kind of act as you rightly point out. In fact, our whole life is an act as we try to live up to other people's expectations. In time, you tend to forget who is the real you and who is the actor.

hi there. sometimes i tend to do things like that. because i usually do not show my feelings to people around me. i always want them to see me a healthy, happy person. i really do like those persons i have met that they never get easily affected to things around them, that might usually cause them pain, or somehow could pull them down. sometimes i imitate them, i try to keep calm and pretend that i could still handle extreme things in life, though my mind is giving up. i still hide it inside me. i am a person that does not give up easily, i make sure and prove to anybody that i can have what i want, and i can do things on my own, something like that. i think that's the best way, to learn just to be happy and be positive no matter what the situation may be. every problem has a solution, so what we should do is stay positive and work upon it. that's all. see you around my friend!

Pretending to be happy. Putting up a front. Yes, I've done that many times. And for a while it helps, you pick up your spirits a bit, you laugh. But when the laughter is done, and you're by yourself again, you remember how things really are, you feel the pain again. If the rut you are in is related to work, I think maybe making personal adjustments would help. But if it is regarding a relationship you are in, I think the first thing to do is to communicate with the other person involved. That way the other person will become aware of what you're feeling, and both of you will be able to find a solution together, make a compromise, and each make necessary adjustments. I hope you are not in a rut right now, but if you are, I hope you'll be able to get out of it soon. I wish you the best! =)

personally, ive never impersonated a happy person because im already a verry happy person... therefore theres no need to be fake