Backstory
My mother used to urge me to smile more often. Seems I was a rather sullen pre-teen whose expression was too often a scowl. Turns out that I needed glasses. Once I could see well, there was so much beauty and joy around me, it was impossible not to smile.
I later passed the smile advice on to my daughter. She was a very serious teenager whose frequent frown made her look downbeat. She took the advice and her demeanor changed dramatically.
When she started climbing her career ladder, she discovered the power of a smile in business dealings. The division she headed was comprised mostly of people older and (she seemed to suggest) wiser than she. I advised that positive responses come more often when bad news or corrections are delivered with a smile. She’s been enjoying smiling success for years.
Who Makes You Smile
Is there a person in your life who can always make you smile? Someone who seems to be able to brighten the darkest day . . . find hope in the most confusing situation?
What a gift it is when we have someone like that. It could be a spouse . . . a sister or brother . . . a friend or even a co-worker. I hope you get to be in their company often.
I wonder if the person who makes you smile knows that she or he has that talent. Do you think they set out to brighten people’s days? or do they just do it naturally, just by being themselves.
What would it take to become one of those people?
The first thing, I suppose, is the smile. The smile has to come naturally and be real. There’s nothing worse than a smile that beams one moment and extinguishes or becomes a frown in the next. So the smile has to be sincere.
And the desire to be kind and help has to be innate. That doesn’t sound so hard. Why not give it a try?
Do two things.
- That person who makes you smile – let them know. It will mean a lot for them to get that feedback
- Follow their lead and become a person who makes others smile
Hey – you just made the world a better place!
P.S.
So we’ve been smile advocates in my family for a long time. You?
[Show #628]