The Simple Act of Smiling Can Change Your Life

Think of something that makes you smile. Repeat.

I know, I know, more neural pathways? I keep reminding you because understanding how to train your brain intentionally is the secret to everything! I was in a meeting last week with my team, and we were discussing a new venture to help people reach their desired levels of success, and a lightbulb went off in my head, as it has many times before.?

It literally all comes down to how good we feel. The choices we make; the foods we eat, the stories we tell, the jobs we take, the relationships we choose, the way we care for our bodies, the thoughts we think, the beliefs we accept and spread…All of it is based upon how personally stable and content we feel.?

We all know the saying, “Misery loves company”, and you probably also know about red flags and gaslighting. But what about green flags and glimmers? Why do they get so little acknowledgment in our popular culture?! In case you don’t know, glimmers are small micro-moments that elicit feelings of joy ~seemingly innocuous experiences that help our nervous system to feel safe and calm. Perhaps it is a rainbow, petting a stranger’s dog, or hearing a song that seems to speak right to you. Noticing both glimmers and green lights can have a tremendously positive effect on our mental health. Looking on the bright side isn’t just an idiom, it is a perspective that can change everything for the better.

The personal development industry has exploded in the last decade. It went from $48.11 billion in 2023 to $51.06 billion in 2024. You can barely do a downward dog without bumping heads with a life coach, or buy a Monster soft drink without someone writing up your toxic choices on Nextdoor. Obviously I jest, but we all are experiencing this shift in our culture, where people are meant to be “living their best lives” by any means possible. Childhood trauma? There are many therapists, psychoanalysts, plant practitioners, and Instagram self-proclaimed experts who have a solution. Body image issues? Look no further than your fingertips googling to find countless mantras and programs to help. Do you find yourself in toxic relationship after toxic relationship, same nonsense, different partner? Relationship counselors, heart chakra coaches, and matchmakers are happy to take your money as they supposedly help you reach levels of self-love they have not necessarily achieved themselves.?

I could go on and on. And to be clear, I am not knocking all of what is going on. I want people to get emotionally and physically healthier. I want everyone to see and know that they can transform their lives, just as I did. I know it is cliche to say, but if I could do it, anyone can. I spent decades with my head in the sand, chasing my tail, making poor decision after poor decision, living outside of myself, and truly not living at all. So I am all for whatever tools and programs work for every individual.?

I also know that it does come down to basics. A well regulated nervous system can do everything from improving your sleep and cognitive performance, slowing and even reversing aging, healing wounds and illnesses, bolstering emotional resilience, and making stress management manageable. It can make every moment of life easier. Not necessarily easy, as it is not a magic wand, but the more that you work on regulating your nervous system, the more it will support you as if you have your own wise guardian angel living inside your body.

So back to the top: think of something that makes you smile. I ask you to do it, right now. Think of someone or something, someplace, some experience, that makes you smile upon thinking about it. Then let the brain and your body’s magical workings take over. Smiling activates tiny molecules in your brain, ones designed to relieve and offset stress. These molecules are called neuropeptides, and they facilitate communication between neurons in your brain. So the simple act of smiling kicks into gear a whole system whose function is to regulate your nervous system and boost your mood.?

Do you know someone who smiles a lot? Both someone that you know and a stranger? Think about the energy of that person. It is like any body language. When you are sad, scared, or depressed, you hold your body in a way that is reflective of that. Your shoulders may be stooped, your countenance dark, your energy low. But when you are excited and happy, there is an actual pep in your step, you hold your head up and your body alert, and you emanate happy high vibrational energy.?

So begin to harness these physical efforts which can then inform and influence your mental and emotional states. Make lists of things that make you smile and put them in places where you can see them. Mix it up from time to time so that you don’t get used to them and lose the feeling, as we all can do with even our favorite things and people. Put photos and the actual objects or things that remind you of a person or experience in clear view. Be intentional about where you want to place them. Do you want something in your workspace to motivate you and fuel creativity and focus? Do you want something on your refrigerator to encourage healthy choices and eating only when you are actually hungry and not just habitually or to fill a space of longing? Do you want something by your bedside so that upon awakening and going to sleep, you will be reminded of it? Do you want a screenshot as the wallpaper on your phone for a more frequent reminder? The choice is yours, you know best where you need motivation and a mood shift most often.?

And then you repeat this. Over and over and with as many things that make you smile as you can. To a degree, our bodies are keeping score. They take note of how many times we think a thought, how many times we move or hold our bodies a certain way, and how much focus we put on one thing versus another (good health or poor health, for example). The habits and thoughts that we continue to maintain become a part of the “hard drive” of our brains and shape our lives.?

But, the good news ALWAYS is that you can change this programming at any time. Sometimes I will give you more sophisticated ways of doing so, but in this case, your only new assignment is to think of something that makes you smile. Repeat. Think of another thing. Repeat. Think of something else. Repeat. You’re on a roll, keep it going. Repeat.?

When you learn to prioritize the not-just-regulation but contentment of your nervous system, your whole life can change. So start with a little more smiling, and let your brain do the autoresponse of releasing dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. Remember that a closed door leads to an open window. As you close the door on negative thoughts and expand your consistent intentional positivity, freedom will welcome you through that open window like the sunrise after a storm. Not to sound cliche, but with a regulated nervous system you can literally accomplish anything.?

I know you are not all attorneys, but my award-winning book on thriving has tips and tools applicable to anyone. Neuroscience can be understood and harnessed for more success, regardless of your career or lifestyle. Check it out at: https://www.amazon.com/Thriving-Legal-Arena-Ultimate-Transforming/dp/B0CKX7QT5G/