SMILE!

So apparently, as I learned on FB, last Friday was officially “World Smile Day” I missed posting a pic that day of me smiling so here’s one with four of us smiling from that morning. Kayaking an alpine lake with cool people while watching the sunrise would be a reason for most people to smile. But what about walking in the office door on a Monday or visiting the dentist office for a root canal? For me those are just two more opportunities for me to do something I’ve been working at for years now. Smiling! It wasn’t always that way though.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received from one of my business coaches was to consciously work on smiling more (and yes I paid good money to hear someone tell me this!). For me it’s a challenge to smile sometimes. This might come as a surprise to you but some people think I’m intense. Really? Me? Maybe it’s my Neanderthal gait, my eyes that can get squinty when I’m giving someone the third degree about something I don’t understand, or possibly the blood vessels in my neck or forehead that tend to pop out when I’m excited. Whatever it is, I will tell you one thing that’s proven effective (at least a little) in taking the edge off my personality … SMILING!

Maybe you’re a type A personality like me or possibly you’re just wired more like Eeyore from “Winnie the Poo.” Regardless of your personality, I guarantee if you smiled more you’d come off as more pleasant, not just for others but maybe even yourself. Ever tried being mad or sad while smiling? You don’t have to wait to be mad or sad though to follow the great advice (I paid to receive) to consciously smile more. And you don’t need to wait for World Smile Day to do it either.

SMILE!