Tag Archives: smile

Smile and the world smiles with you

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Nobody remembers the specifics of my entrance into the world, much like they don’t recall how I got my nickname, but they do remember that I was abundantly happy at an age when babies do nothing more than cry and sleep.  I was not the baby who would play strange and scream if a stranger picked me up, there was no colic, no fuss, just smiles.  My mother used to wake me up at 11:00 at night just so she could play with me because I was such a happy toddler.   Her friends thought she was certifiable until she invited them over to prove a point.  I became a real hit at parties!

smiling-baby-with-toys

(not actually me, but the resemblance is uncanny)

I am fortunate to have carried that disposition with me throughout my life.  I am rarely in a bad mood.  And although my mother doesn’t come over at 11:00 pm to play with me anymore, I wake up in the morning, smiling and just, happy.

I am the person in the room that will make a ridiculous statement so I can make even one person smile.  On the curling ice, I’m the comedian who invented full-contact curling. I don’t use it very often, but the thought of me turning into a Defensive Tackle on the ice amuses people and makes the game more fun.  One of my teammates told me he didn’t think I have an angry bone in my body.  (He hasn’t seen me dealing with an aggressive hotel guest hell-bent on proving they are right, when, against the premise of the rules of customer service, I vehemently disagree.)

I am lucky that I am able to find the joy in the small things in my life.  Music lifts my spirit – when I am alone, I sing like I’m on stage, I dance in my kitchen just because it’s fun and I am content to just feel light and joyous.  Even writing this post, I am smiling because I am still able to not dwell on the negative and appreciate the precious things in my life.

Smile and the world really does smile with you.

Smile

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“A smile is the curve that can set everything straight.”  ~ Phyllis Diller

Whether a smile is formed to placate another person, or the muscles are drawn upwards in a genuine feeling of pleasure, that smile sends a great deal of positive energy into the surrounding space.  It is contagious.  The small amount of effort used to contort the facial muscles required to smile is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the return on your investment.  We all live in a business world, and the bottom line, the ROI, is the quintessential pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow.  But what if the corporations and the highly educated leaders at the helm of those business models are missing the most important, yet the simplest element?

An effortless expression of friendliness can break down barriers – far beyond any tangible barriers we can grasp.  A smile can lighten the mood, set the tone for a conversation and alleviate any preconceived anxiety.  A smile – something so simple that can envelop so many with the least amount of effort.

With the overwhelming number of things that can be taken as misfortunes, each facet of our lives still presents beauty, depth and a myriad of things to be able to create that smile.  Life has not always been a bouquet of roses, but standing on my deck tonight in temperatures far colder than anticipated, I looked up into a very starry night and smiled.  I smiled because I chose to live in a place that allows me to see those stars.  I smiled because, even though not every thing is perfect in my life,  I am content.  I smiled because there is so much potential for me to conquer my dreams.  And I smiled because every time I inhale and exhale, I breathe life into my life.

Smile because you are here.  Smile because every day affords you a clean slate and you can choose to do whatever you want to do.  Smile because people love you.  Whatever reason makes you feel that joy, just smile, and pass that joy on to someone else.  It is the best gift you can give.