By the time February arrives, the sparkle of “new year, new me” has usually faded. Work is busy again, motivation can feel like it’s running on fumes, and the weather’s still gray (unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere sipping iced coffee, in which case, please stop reading this and go enjoy the beach for me).
Still, small shifts in attitude can make tough stretches easier to handle. In Japan, there’s a proverb that captures this idea perfectly:
「笑う門には福来る（わらうかどにはふくきたる） (warau kado ni wa fuku kitaru)」
…which literally means “Fortune comes in at the merry gate.”
This is simply saying that a home filled with laughter naturally attracts happiness and good fortune. Even when times are tough, keeping a positive attitude can invite good things into our lives. It’s even said that the gods of fortune are drawn to bright, joyful homes.
What’s fascinating is that modern research now suggests that simply smiling, even when you don’t quite feel like it, can trick the brain into feeling happier.
So maybe the old saying had it right all along. Either way, it can’t hurt to invite a little laughter in first, and let the rest follow. Happy February!
Vocabulary words:
- 笑う（わらう） to laugh
- 門（かど） gate
- 福（ふく） fortune, luck
- 来る（くる） to come
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