Recently, I declared a self-care day.

I woke up when my body felt rested, ate breakfast, saw my son off to pre-school, and headed to my yoga class. The instructor reminded me to focus and breathe. After a rejuvenating practice, I headed home for a leisurely lunch with my husband. Later that afternoon I enjoyed an hour massage and then treated myself to a nourishing vegetarian meal of soy tempeh with kale, red onion, beets and brown rice at a favorite local eatery. My body thanked me for treating it well. I completed my self-care day with a session of acupuncture.  After a full day of nurturing myself, my mind felt clear and focused. My mood was calmer. I now felt like I could tackle the week ahead of me.

Among the countless revelations Will Smith’s character, Christopher Gardner, makes in the Oscar Winning picture “The Pursuit of Happyness,” one quote in particular instantly sends chills down the spine:
“It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it.”

But, what is a life without happiness? Better yet, is it even possible to live every day without even a little laughter or a smile?