A while ago, I published an article about smiling in my monthly newsletter. I want to share it here, along with an update.
To start, take this gift from me. It’s free and it’s easy. Smile.
Just smile.
Now think about what you just experienced. Smile again to help you remember.
Smiling is an amazing thing. When we smile, chemicals are released in our brains that make us think we’re happy. And that makes us feel happy.
It’s a simple trick. When you’re feeling stressed or down: Stop whatever you’re doing; take a deep breath; and smile.
And smiling isn’t just a gift for you. It’s a gift for everyone you share it with. That sounds like a cliché, but it’s true because smiling releases feel-good chemicals, so when we smile at someone else, and they smile back, they get a dose of those feel-good chemicals—your gift to them.
A few months after I published the smiling article in my newsletter, in the midst of a speaking engagement, I realized something important about the great impact of smiling. During that speaking engagement, when I was explaining to the audience about the way the chemicals released in your brain make you feel happy, it hit me.
When your smile makes you suddenly feel happy, you try to figure out why you are happy. You begin to make a list of things contributing to your happiness. Next thing you know, you have a happiness list—whether it’s a gratitude list, an achievements list, or a list of things that recently made you smile—a list of positive things in your life. That’s proactive positivity. And that’s awesome.
What are your smiling experiences? Please join the conversation with your comments…
Best regards,
David