When You Can’t Find the Sunshine, Be the Sunshine

When the Coronavirus is under control, many of us will go back to work in the office. Some of us are already back. You will enter the same lift, as always, and everyone there will be standing with a serious face. You, too. Nobody will say, “Good morning.”

And now imagine. You enter the same lift, but this time with a smile on your face, and you say enthusiastically, “Good morning.” How will the people in the lift react? Will they respond with a smile and say back, “Good morning?” I guess, they will because a smile is contagious; everyone will greet you back too.

Have you seen a boy or a girl who made a mess or broke something? At the moment when you wanted to reprimand them, they smiled. You couldn’t say a word anymore. You smiled too.

What if you have an argument with your spouse, and instead of continuing fighting, you will say, “I love you, and I want the best for both of us and our family.” And then you will smile and hug your spouse. I’m not kidding. Try it out.

I live in the Netherlands, in a village close to Amsterdam. When I go jogging, I know I will be smiling a few times during the next 40 minutes. Why? Because when I pass people walking out there with their dogs or their children, we all say to each other, “Hi, Hello, Goede morgen, etc.” And saying those words, we always smile. The smile comes naturally.

Do we know how many people go through their lives with a baggage of sorrow, sadness, depression, disappointment, resentment, anger, frustration, and other negative emotions? No, we don’t. And when we give them a smile, while we are waiting for the metro or tram, or in line to pay for our groceries, or in the lift, how will they feel? How will we feel? I can tell you, we all will feel better.

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.

~Mark Twain

So, if you can make someone smile today, do it. One smile makes the day for many people. So, as of today, every day, find someone you don’t know and smile at them, give them just a little smile. We never know how positively we can impact their day. Someone wise once said, “Making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. Start small. Start now.”

And, when you face an obstacle, just look at yourself in the mirror, smile, and make funny faces. You will see a smile back, 100% guarantee. In fact, you will start laughing at yourself. You must say that it is crazy what I’m saying. That’s fine, but it truly helps. Try it!

You can ask, “Is that all why I should smile more?”

“No, not all”

Here below you will find more benefits of a smile:

• A smile is a sign of joy.
• A smile makes us feel happier.
• A smile relieves stress.
• A smile empowers us to find resources and options, easier make right decisions, and take action in order to solve our problem or take on our challenges.
• A smile helps to overcome our fears.
• A smile can break the ice and bring peace.
• A smile generates more positive emotions and elevates our mood.
• A smile lowers blood pressure and reduces pain.
• A smile boosts our immune system because we feel more relaxed when we smile.
• A smile is the most universal language of communication, with no limits.
• A smile makes us look younger.
• A smile makes us look more confident, more trustworthy, and leads to success.
• A smile is the best aphrodisiac; it attracts people because people who smile are more likable.
• A smile makes other people feel comfortable around us.
• A smile is the most beautiful makeup for every woman and it gives charm to every man.
• A smile makes other people feel better.

So, why shouldn’t we smile more if a smile has so many benefits?

I can assure you that there is always a reason to smile. We need only to find it, for example, we can smile when it is sunny outside, when we see a funny puppy, when we smell delicious food, when we hear birds singing, when we watch something funny on TV, when we dance, when we see children playing, when we are sitting in the garden, when we forgive someone, when we meet our family, when we talk on the phone with a friend, when we have a morning coffee, when we hear our favorite music, when someone says, “I’m sorry” or “I love you”, when we give or receive a compliment, when we see a happy couple, when we buy a chocolate or flowers for ourselves, and when someone smiles at us.

Find your own reasons to smile.

And smile! 😄

Sylwia