It is not easy to smile all the time. One can have a bad day, or huge challenges to take care of, or one can be tired. Or worried. Or sad. Or alone. Or sick. Or whatever.
But it is always worth smiling, because smiling is the most beautiful trick in the world.
Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness.
But it is always worth smiling, because smiling is the most beautiful trick in the world.
Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness.
George R.R. Martin
The brain is not able to recognize whether a smile is genuine or not and if one is able to smile long enough for the brain to 'record' the act of smiling itself, it is going to react to the 'happiness signals' sent by the body and produce endorphins anyway. Thirty seconds are enough for this.
[Funny, cocky and yet true:
the reason why one smiles is just not as important as smiling itself.
Smile, even if you do it because of a jerk,
or because you are not in love with a jerk any longer]
So if you are smiling for thirty seconds because you are thinking about something beautiful, you are in love, you got a promotion, you saw a baby cat, you found the shoes of your life on sale... or just because you decided to use your facial muscles to smile on purpose... it doesn't make any difference: you are going to feel good while doing it. In the same way.
[Lillian Gish as Lucy, the girl
in Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl
(USA 1919) by D.W. Griffith...
you can absolutely do better than this!]
It is a trick worth using, don't you think?
So think about yourself, think about who you are, think about how special you are. Make George R.R. Martin's words your new mantra, and smile because of it. And then smile again. And again. And then smile again. And keep smiling.
Smile while you are walking on the street, smile while you are meeting new people, smile at work, smile while you are together with your friends and loved ones. Smile while you are dancing, no matter where you are. Smile while you are playing with kids or pets.
Make smiling your new, most important habit. And don't give up even if it could be a bit weird for you at the beginning if you are not yet used to it.
[Marilyn Monroe says that you have to smile...]
In order to make the situation even more interesting, play a little game: what if you should be able to make other people smile too?
Smiling can be contagious: one smiles, someone can smile back. The person that is smiling back can feel suddenly better and she can start smiling on her own and she can smile at someone else...
In more than one language it is said that someone has an 'infectious smile', about very positive people that are able to make other people smile. Let's make your smile that smile.
How? Think about yourself, be proud of it, smile and keep smiling also while meeting unknown people. Try every day to have three people smiling back at you.
Don't give up even if most people won't... and don't feel frustrated even if maybe nobody or only one person or two people will smile back.
Numbers are not so important, while playing the smiling game. Every single smile will be a precious gift, for you and for the other person.
Are you ready to try?
Tags: Emotions, Happiness, Smiling, Smile, Quotes, Smiling game
What to read next:
Sugar lips, the perfect silence and why a smile is not just a smile, while practicing intercultural communication
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