Interacting with a Merry Heart

“A merry heart does good, like a medicine,” the Book of Proverbs declares.

Many clinical studies have been done and it has been verified time and again that people who have a merry heart, people who laugh and are lighthearted and joyful, live longer, healthier, happier, and more productive lives. It is amazing what smiling, laughing, and being kind can do for human interaction and collaboration. Being kind, considerate, and positive brings out the best in others. 

Here are three powerful ways we can manifest and exude positive cheer:

1. Be cheerful (lighthearted) and kind from the inside out.

2. Be cheerful and kind even when others are not.

3. Be cheerful and kind because it is more fun and fulfilling.

First, we are cheerful (lighthearted) and kind from the inside out.

What this means is that first we must be truly and genuinely positive, of a good cheer, and merry on the inside before we can authentically manifest it outwardly to others. It is not a technique or a front we put on, it needs to be the basis of our being. It is a matter of lifestyle for us.

It depends on what we feed our own minds and what we dwell on.

We need to be the ones to take charge of what we actually feed our minds. The world tends to magnify and revel in the negatives. Just look at the news on TV, in papers, online, everywhere. It is ninety percent negative and magnifies violence, hatred, wars, bigotry, political division, failure, crime, murder, catastrophes, anger, and more. If we keep ourselves hooked up to this endless mind-feed, we will most certainly become negative, depressed, morose, bitter, cynical, and perhaps even violent or angry people.

However, when we actively decide to cut off this endless mind-feed and become mindful of what we allow ourselves to feed on and to be exposed to, we can regulate the incoming information and balance it out to our benefit. When we focus on and feed on good things, good stories, humor to make us laugh, helpful information, and the everyday heroics that are present in the world, we will become positive and our outlook will be elevated to seeing the best in people and things. We will have high ideals that we strive for, and a concern to make our homes, jobs, communities, and even the world a better place in which to live.

There is a balance, of course—we do need to stay informed. We don’t ignore the negative news of the world and pretend it is not there. We don't live in la-la land. We simply choose to be powerfully proactive regarding the information we feed on to regulate it. We can still get all the news we need without being sucked into emotionality and the buzz of it, and without magnifying the negativity in our minds.

To do this, make sure that what you feed on and incubate in your mind is predominantly good, cheerful, lighthearted, positive, beneficial, and productive. It takes an active decision of the will to make this happen. Cut off the negative input and begin to read things that are humorous, lighthearted, informative, uplifting, positive, and good. You can get most of the news you need simply from headlines anyway, and then you can skip the negative nonsense you don't really need, and stick to the positive articles.

There are so many good books written that we can study and learn from or that will entertain and amuse us, from the bible and devotional studies to business studies to arts and crafts and nature studies to high adventure and so much more. We can practice a healthy, peaceful lifestyle by engaging in practices like music and art appreciation, enjoyment of nature, a stimulating mental activity, engaging things that make us laugh, things that are fun, and more.

[See Productivity: The Power of Peace for more ideas.]

It is important for us to be in control of what we feed our minds and what we dwell on. Thoughts are the seeds of actions and what we think is who we become and what we attract in life. 

Second, we are cheerful and kind even when others are not.

If someone gets upset with us, or says negative things to us, or if they are, perhaps, a bit terse, do not react to them and become negative and defensive and lash out, or it will exacerbate the problem. Don’t let anyone push your buttons. You be in control of your buttons. Don’t let chain reactions develop. Break the chain, stop it in its tracks. No doubt you've seen many times how when hostilities and emotions get to flying, no one can get anything done.

So exercise patient endurance. When someone snaps at you, sends a negative email, or gets on you for something, be patient, keep quiet, keep smiling and be kind. Offer help to resolve the situation or ask them if there is anything you can do for them. Tell them you are interested in hearing the whole problem so you can get to a solid or satisfactory solution. Be genuinely concerned. Once again, this isn't some diplomatic show or technique you use just to get what you want—that would be politics. Don't play politics. Instead, you can be genuinely concerned because you practice being positive, of a good cheer, and kind from the inside out as discussed in point one.

You will be surprised how often this will completely turn around a situation. By being persistently positive, welcoming and accepting, steady, kind, cheerful and considerate, you will encourage and lift up your partner, or family member, or colleague at work, or other individual. You can bring light to the situation so that positive energy can be released to change the dynamics of it for the better. This will allow people to relax and recharge in peace or to get some work done that benefits all and produces something of value. 

Even when you need to confront a persistently negative individual or correct someone who is wrong or who is attacking you for no good reason, it is the power of your poise, your peace, and the strength of your inner joy and composure that carries the day. Your steady, cheerful demeanor will either defuse and disarm the volatility, or cause the individual to discomfit themselves.

Third, we are cheerful and kind because it is more fun and fulfilling to live that way.

That’s right. It really is. Remember, it has been clinically proven that being lighthearted is healthier, it beats stress, it makes us joyful, and fulfilled—yes, it truly does good like a medicine. It is an elixir of health and well-being not only for us, but for everyone else we come in contact with. Live, love and laugh.

You've heard it said that smiles are contagious. Well, the smiles that spring from a deep fountain of joy, happiness, and well-being within are not only smiles that change the atmosphere of a situation, they are the smiles that heal others too. Let your medicine overflow into others’ lives.

Human interaction and collaboration works and becomes mutually beneficial when we are positive, of good cheer, and kind from the inside out, when we are patient with others and persist in cheerful kindness, and when we live this way because it is more fun and fulfilling. 

Enjoy making this a better world one person at a time by interacting with a merry heart to keep life good.

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David E Navarro is an author, poet, essayist, haiku poet-philosopher, scholar, and non-denominational biblical research minister who lives in Tucson, Arizona with his wife and family. He also works in clinical research in data science and medical writing. He was born in Newport, Rhode Island and grew up on the Southside of Chicago and in Northwestern Indiana until he went off to college at Purdue University. 

He served in the United States Air Force for ten years (three conflicts). During his tour of duty in the United Kingdom, he completed a degree in Communications and Leadership. He separated with an honorable discharge and entered a Biblical Studies program where he completed a degree in Theology and served 35 years in the ministry as a Biblical research teacher and minister. 

During this time he worked as a corporate safety compliance officer and trainer, the CEO of a credit union, HR training specialist, financial institution compliance and tech writer, power utilities company corporate compliance analyst, clinical research associate, and online adult English writing instructor.  He is the founder of NavWorks Press.

He returned to school with Purdue University Global and completed a BS degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. He writes about and teaches life and time management, quality of life, work-life balance, biblical research, teaching, and ministering principles, writing and communication, and mindfulness.

His first collection of poetry was published in 1980 in the Purdue Exponent Literary Edition, Winter Issue. Over the years, his articles, poems, and essays have been published in various magazines, literary journals, books, anthologies, and online. He plans to write, publish, and educate for the rest of his life.

Books and Publications

A Tree Frog's Eyes: Haiku, 2020, haiku, senryu, and essays on haiku 

In the Praise of His Glory, 2020, poems and Biblical notes

Archway to Beyond, 2020, haiku, haibun, poetry, and prose for an academic project

Early Childhood Learning: An Instruction Focused Framework for Ongoing Assessment, 2019, early learning educational guide

This Is the Way: Walk Ye in It, 2018, Biblical research studies and poems

Dropping Ants into Poems, 2017, literary essays and poems

Sometimes Anyway, 2016, a compilation of 39 poets

Dare to Soar, 2013, essays and poems

Between Life and Language, 2009, a compilation of 107 poets

Planned Books

Rain in the Mountain, will critically handle history, myths, and methods of writing English language haiku

The Annals of Ghalensa, a sci-fi/fantasy series of novels

Biblical Studies in Truth, a series of books with in-depth Biblical research and teaching

Man's Search for Truth, a book about man's search for truth through science, philosophy, and religion

(and other non-fiction works)

Please see his Author Page for a list of his current books

From 2006 through 2009, he ran an extremely popular online poetry writing forum with over 10,000 hits per week. He currently manages two LinkedIn Groups, Poetry & Poetry Resources, and Book Story: for Writers Authors Poets Readers.