“Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.”
Richard Whately · Apophthegms, 1854
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Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you'll start to see a big difference in your life.
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About this quote
Meaning
Ono's suggestion is deceptively simple. Looking at yourself in the mirror and choosing to smile is a small physical act, but it carries a real psychological weight. The mirror is often where people confront self-criticism first thing in the morning, so redirecting that moment toward warmth and self-acceptance can shift the entire emotional tone of a day. Over time, she is suggesting, that tiny repeated choice accumulates into something larger: a different relationship with yourself and, by extension, with the world around you.
Context
Ono has offered this kind of guidance across various interviews and public statements over the years, consistent with her long interest in participatory art, mindfulness, and small personal actions as a form of transformation. Much of her artistic work involves simple instructions that ask people to pay attention differently or to treat ordinary moments as meaningful. This quote fits naturally within that sensibility, presenting a daily ritual not as self-help cliche but as a genuine practice of self-kindness.
About the author
Yoko Ono is a Japanese-born artist, musician, and peace activist who has been a significant and often provocative figure in contemporary art since the 1960s. She was closely associated with the Fluxus movement and is known for conceptual works that invite audience participation. Beyond her visual art and music, she has long used public platforms to encourage peace, compassion, and personal reflection. Her ideas on small positive actions as sources of real change run throughout her life and work.
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