Give away a smile

Happy Saturday, I hope your week has been fantastic. My week was busy but solid and not to mention very productive. In several interactions this week, I have encountered random acts of kindness. In one instance, I went to a sandwich shop to get a bag of chips, and the lady said, “Oh, that’s all you want?” initially; I wondered why she would ask me that. So I responded, “Yes, Ma’am,” and she handed me the bag and stated, “They are on me.” It was a nice gesture that started with eye contact, engagement, and a SMILE. The thing about smiles is that they are contagious, like a yawn or negative energy.

The difference is what we choose to give away to others. You will often be greeted with a smile when you smile; if not, guess what? That is okay; we never know what someone is experiencing in their life during an interaction. That is when we should lean into granting others grace and into empathy. A smile is something we can give others and does not cost us a thing.

There have been times in my life when I brought the energy of a soccer game into a room, and the people around me had low energy. People’s energy, emotions, and disposition is their prerogative; you are not responsible for matching someone’s oomph, nor are you responsible for managing the energy of others.

So, the call to action is when you are feeling good, spread it around to others. If we spent more time as a human race planting positivity seeds, we would have a happier experience interacting with others. I would not expect myself or anyone else to be “happy” all the time; it is not realistic. I recommend not spreading misery to others; now, that can be contagious. There are a couple of ways to reduce doing so.

1.??????Self-awareness: Recognize when you are down. Communicating and rescheduling meetings or gatherings is okay to protect your energy.

2.??????Do not fake it to make it: This is an adage; you do not have to push through for acceptance, convenience others, or to please people. It can wreak havoc on your mental health and low moods. No one is exempt from ups and downs, so remember that even you are human.

3.??????Journal: A fantastic way to relieve low moods and misery is self-reflecting through journaling. It does not have to be lengthy. It could be as simple as writing what bothered you in an interaction or conversation. Getting thoughts out of your head can reduce stress and boost your overall temperament.

Smiling is a universal way to seem more approachable; while smiling has various meanings to people, there are more positive associations than negative ones. I watched a video several years back highlighting that happiness begins with a smile; check it out Happiness Begins with a Smile. You should get a nice chuckle after viewing the content. Science and research have shown that smiling can lift your mood, lower stress, boost your immune system and possibly even prolong your life. So now that you have information highlighting the benefits of smiling, why not smile more?

Good to know info: As mentioned above, do not grin and bear it. If you pay close attention to people, you can distinguish between a fake and a genuine smile. Authentic smiles cause the eyes to move. When someone “fake smiles,” the rest of the person’s face stays still while smiling. A person with a genuine smile is less likely to expose the bottom row of teeth.

On the contrary, smile to motivate yourself and positively activate the brain even when you do not feel like it. It can seem like an oxymoron, but most things in life are. This is why you must know yourself to better interact and live amongst others. There are few absolutes in life, so adjust and adapt as often as you need to.

Take the challenge: Smile and laugh as often as possible. This is not for work settings only. Smile at home, school, on your daily walks, with your family, while shopping, and smile while standing in line. Smile to your friends and strangers, and also just to yourself.

Remember to receive a smile; you must first give one away. “The more you give, the more you receive, so why not give it all away?” In the group’s words, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Give it away, give it away, give it away now.

Cheers!