Smile - A tool for wellbeing at work.

I’ve noticed something about the way people smile and how that might affect your wellbeing at work.

Some people smile at everyone, even if they don’t know them or feel a little uncomfortable, they still smile. These people have a warm, open and endearing smile about them that says I’m happy to be here and glad you’re here too. Do you have people at work like that? Or, am I talking about you?

When I see these people, I feel wonderful. I don’t really know how to explain it any better than that. There is simply a part of me that lights up and feels acknowledged, valued and respected just from the mere act of their smile. Somehow their smile conveys so much about their own values, our shared world and the possibility of good things happening for us both.

Some people, on the other hand take a while to warm up. There is one man that I encounter every morning for the last two, possibly three years. I’ve made it a personal challenge to get him to say 'Hi' and after two years he’s now smiling warmly. There’s a beautiful person inside, it’s just the mask (for want of a better term) isn’t confident enough to say Hello. I used to think that people who didn't smile were grumpy and detached from the world, but it’s more that they just need to be made welcome in a world that’s sometimes been hard.

So, today I’d like you to think about the way you smile and how that affects the lives of those around you at work. Each time you smile, you get the opportunity to acknowledge value and respect another human being, and sometimes that’s the very best thing we can ever do!