Living in Excellent Health #82 — Is Happy-Go-Lucky the Solution to Parkinson’s Disease?

I recently wrote a birthday letter to my oldest granddaughter, who is turning, five. In the letter, I described her as being ‘happy-go-lucky.’ This begged the question: is happy-go-lucky a solution to the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease?

According to ChatGPT, the phrase “happy-go-lucky” describes a person who is carefree, relaxed, and generally unconcerned about potential problems or future worries. This definitely describes my granddaughter. Furthermore, it says, “Someone who is happy-go-lucky typically takes life as it comes, maintaining a positive and cheerful attitude regardless of circumstances. This kind of person often enjoys the present moment without stressing over what might happen next. The term suggests a lighthearted and optimistic approach to life.”

In considering the question, “Is a happy-go-lucky personality a solution for Parkinson’s,” I queried ChatGPT on the benefits of such a personality, and the first two benefits listed were: Reduced Stress and Improved Mental Health. This would definitely suggest that a happy-go-lucky personality could be a solution.

I also queried ChatGPT for an example of a happy-go-lucky television character, someone to emulate, and the response I got was, Joey Tribbiani from the sitcom, “Friends.” Joey was often depicted as carefree, cheerful, and largely unconcerned about serious matters. He lived in the moment, enjoyed simple pleasures, and maintained an optimistic attitude even when faced with challenges. His easygoing nature and positive outlook on life made him a quintessential happy-go-lucky character.

This brought to mind another happy-go-lucky television character: Woody Boyd, from the show, “Cheers.” According to ChatGPT, Woody, played by Woody Harrelson, was a friendly, naive, and somewhat dim-witted bartender from Hanover, Indiana, who replaced, Coach. Woody was known for his cheerful disposition and good-natured simplicity; definitely happy-go-lucky.

But I’m not sure I am ready to make the transition from uptight … which I’ve been all my life … to happy-go-lucky. This, I think, might be too much of a stretch. Moreover, happy-go-lucky is borderline irresponsible, which I definitely do not aspire to. On the other hand, perhaps the personality exemplified by another Cheers character, Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson, might be doable. Sam was easy-going … a bit of a womanizer, yes, but that aside, he was easy-going, and this might be more achievable for me … and more desirable.

According to ChatGPT, the terms “easy-going” and “happy-go-lucky” both describe relaxed and carefree personalities, but there are subtle differences between the two:

• Outlook on Life: Happy-go-lucky implies a more overtly cheerful and positive disposition, often associated with a sense of joy and a lack of worry about the future. Easy-going focuses more on a relaxed and adaptable attitude, with an emphasis on being unflustered rather than necessarily cheerful.
• Concern for the Future: Happy-go-lucky individuals are specifically characterized by their lack of concern for future problems, while easy-going individuals are more generally relaxed in their approach to life, including but not limited to concerns about the future.
• Emotional Expression: Happy-go-lucky tends to imply a visible, cheerful demeanor, whereas easy-going may refer more to an internal state of calm and acceptance, which might not always be as outwardly expressed.

An easy-going personality offers the same benefits as happy-go-lucky: reduced stress and improved mental health.

So, then, how best to transition from uptight to easy-going? Afterall, I’ve been uptight all my life. It’s what I know. Ah, but it’s not who I am. What I am … what we all are … is a divine spiritual being. At my core essence, I am love. First and foremost, I need to remember this and foster it. I didn’t know this for most of my life, and even now, I find it easy to slip into the old, uptight, me, especially in stressful situations.

Remembering that my core essence is love, better enables the personality me to be the easy-going, Sam Malone-type that I so desire. It also enables me to live with acceptance and trust. It will enable me to let go of the need to be right and perfect. It will inspire me in any given situation, to ask the question, how would Sam respond?

Yes, I think easy-going is doable.