Smile….The World Needs It!

Posted by & filed under Spiritual.

smiley faceFor the past several years, I have enjoyed a little ritual that I enjoy doing on my drive to work. At every red light or stop sign, I look over at the person beside me and smile and wave! It’s amazing the responses I receive! Many people smile and wave back and I’m sure as they are driving off they are saying “Who in the heck was that?”. Some I see laughing because I do it with child-like enthusiasm. Of course I get the occasional one finger salute but I don’t let that deter me. Typically I grow my smile even bigger for them! Try what I am saying. Start out by looking at the expressions on most people’s faces on their morning commute. Most just have this look of stress and anxiety! They are heading to a job they can’t stand; running late to drop the kids off at school; fed up with the traffic; YIKES! They look like they could scream at any moment! Then you come along; big smile and a friendly wave; and at the moment that negative thought pattern they are caught up in is interrupted and knocked off track. They may allow it back in later on but know this much; you did your part!

“A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.” Proverbs 15:13. How important is it for us, through a smile, to bring joy to the hearts of others? There are so many positive things that can come from smiling and I wanted to share a few.

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive – There is an attraction factor to those that smile; we are drawn to them and want to know them and figure out what is so good. Disgruntled, angry, frowning cry babies push people away; but a smile draws them in!

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood – Smiling can literally trick the body and help to change our mood. The next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile and watch what happens!

3. Smiling is Contagious – Someone that smiles can light up a room and literally change the mood of others around them; it is as though they bring their happiness with them and by nature we all want happiness; so bring the smile and share the gift.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress – When we are at our wits end with stress, it literally shows on our face. Putting on a smile can prevent us from looking tired, overwhelmed and worn out. This can help to reduce the stress enough allowing us to take action and make the changes we need in our lives.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System – It’s been scientifically proven that smiling makes us more relaxed; and when our bodies are more relaxed, they are able to fight sickness and our immune system gets a boost!

6. Smiling Reduce Pain and Makes Us Feel Better – Studies show that smiling releases endorphins, serotonin and natural pain killers within the body. These 3 things together can make your feel like a million bucks. Face it, Smiling is a natural drug.smile in the crowd

7. Smiling Reduces Your Blood Pressure – There have been recorded instances where a simple smile can create a measurable decrease in you blood pressure. Next time you are at Wal-Mart, go to the free blood pressure monitor and check your reading. Then sit for a few minutes and smile; then check it again. Did you see a difference?

8. Smiling Lifts Your Face and Makes You Look Younger – What a work out of the face muscles. Just smiling helps to lift the muscles of the face and helps a person to appear younger! Who needs a face lift when you can smile?

9. Smiling Can Help Your Success – Smiling people look more confident and in doing so attract people and opportunity to themselves. You are more likely to be considered for that promotion over Mr. Frowns or you may even be approached by another company that sees value in you; and that value? You bring happiness and success with you wherever you go!

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive – Give this a try! Put on a smile; now while smiling think of something negative without losing the smile. Pretty difficult isn’t it? It’s because the smiling body is telling itself “Life is GREAT”! This will steer you clear of depression, stress and worry! Put on a smile!

So what do you have to lose? Absolutely nothing, but you have tons to gain! So on your next drive out and about town, remember to smile and wave to your fellow brothers and sisters out in the world. I promise you will feel better and if you get one other person to smile, you can call it a success and a positive impact!

23 Responses to “Smile….The World Needs It!”

  1. lynblLyn Blackledge

    how amazing. I was just cooking my lunch thinking I must do a video blog about smiling!!!! Coincidence or what. It is easy to diffuse situations too wirth a smile. One of my favourites was when returning on the ferry t my beloved Isle of Wight, I opened the back of the van door to pop my laptop back in. Mrs Grumpy arrived and clearly she owned the car behind. She shouted at me and said I was about to smash her headlight! (I had actually placed my knee between the door and headlight so there was no chance!!) I smiled, showed her my well placed knee and said “I’m sorry you have had a bad day. I’ve had a brilliant day. I hope yours gets better and off I went to my can ready to disembark! Anothe favourite is having the chocolate smiles from Thorntons and sharing them with people who don’t have a smile of their own !

    Reply
  2. lynblLyn Blackledge

    how amazing. I was just cooking my lunch thinking I must do a video blog about smiling!!!! Coincidence or what. It is easy to diffuse situations too wirth a smile. One of my favourites was when returning on the ferry t my beloved Isle of Wight, I opened the back of the van door to pop my laptop back in. Mrs Grumpy arrived and clearly she owned the car behind. She shouted at me and said I was about to smash her headlight! (I had actually placed my knee between the door and headlight so there was no chance!!) I smiled, showed her my well placed knee and said “I’m sorry you have had a bad day. I’ve had a brilliant day. I hope yours gets better and off I went to my can ready to disembark! Anothe favourite is having the chocolate smiles from Thorntons and sharing them with people who don’t have a smile of their own !

    Reply
    • divineimpacts

      Thanks for the comment Lyn…its incredible how grumpy most of the world can seem throughout the day. But what’s even more incredible is how one smile can melt alot of that! Thanks so much for the kind response!

      Reply
  3. alethamcmanama

    Hi, Jeff. I love your blog post on smiling! It would be cool if I was one of the recipients of one of your random smiles at a traffic light. I would smile back, even if I was having a bad commute or a bad day. I know what the benefits of smiling does to oneself. Sometimes, I can be the giver of one of those smiles, but it comes on rare occasions as I’m more of an introvert than I am outgoing. But you’ve given me an idea to smile more at others. I’ll give it a try today! Thanks for sharing. I love your inspirational posts, Jeff. They are uplifting, especially as you add scripture to your articles. I’m a big fan of God! 🙂

    Reply
    • divineimpacts

      Thanks so much for the inspiring comment! and I too am a fan of God! Sometimes when we don’t feel like smiling all we need to do is turn to HIm, think of the awesome things He has done for us and a smile should pop up! Would love for you to like and follow my lage and blog! Thanks again for your kind words!

      Reply
  4. msamyschmidt

    Wonderful and uplifting post!! Guess what? I’M SMILING! Thank you!

    Reply
    • divineimpacts

      Thanks Amy! Knowing that you are smiling just made me smile! Amazing how this works! Thanks so much for the kind words…and for smiling back! 🙂

      Reply
  5. rachel flower

    So very true. I agree wholeheartedly. One thing I’ve found is that there are certain activities where it is physically impossible not to smile… like sledding, inner tube riding. Thank you for the reminder!!

    Reply
    • divineimpacts

      Thanks for the comment Rachel. That could be an entire new article; events that make you smile! Great idea! Thanks so much for the kind and affirming words!

      Reply
  6. Cheryl

    Hi Jeff,
    Love this blog. I have taken to smiling when I am at the grocery store. Sometimes I think to myself, “why are people looking at me?” Then I say, Oh it is because I am smiling! Really we do not smile enough during the day to day running around and when you see someone smiling it seems odd.

    Thank you for this.

    Cheryl

    Reply
    • divineimpacts

      Cheryl, thanks so much for sharing. You are right when you say we do not smile enough. I fenough of us remid one another by smiling, WOW, things would begin to change! THANKS for the kind words!

      Reply
  7. Dawn Alice Shine On

    Smiling is so simple and easy, and yes this small gesture does make a massive difference. You never know what the other person in the car at the traffic lights have been through and a smile may change their life.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • divineimpacts

      Thanks so much Dawn for the comment. So true in that smiling is a small thing that can make massive changes. I guess we will all have to jsut jump out there one smile at a time and see what happens! Thanks again for the thumbs up!

      Reply
  8. Gladys S Parker (@momtograndma)

    All from a smile, go figure! I loved your post, thanks so much for sharing! I have SAD and this last bit of winter really tries to darken my world. I smiled through the entire time and no, I could not think of the snow, cold, or any of my negative thoughts satin tries to force on me. Again, thank you!

    Reply
    • divineimpacts

      Thanks for sharing Gladys! So happy you tried the suggestion and it worked!! Kind of hard for it not to when is what our hearts and spirits desire…Happiness! Thanks for your kind words! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Hale Pringle

    I’m reminded of the “Smile and the whole world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone.
    I’m also reminded of the “Get a mirror when you do phone work and SMILE, people can hear it.”
    Very nice. I did get a smile out of it.

    Regards,
    Dr. Hale

    Reply
    • divineimpacts

      Thanks for the kind comment Dr. Hale. I look forward to giving the mirror suggestion a try! I believe you when you day it works because smiles are that powerful! Thanks!

      Reply
  10. Mark D. Abshire

    My dear friend Jeff: Once again you put out another one that really touched me. I read every article you post on F.B. and love every one of them. and just because I do not reply to every one of them does not mean that I am not paying attention, it just means that at that moment it does not speak to me: but this one is different, I believe whole heartedly, in what you just wrote about Smiling does a body good. I carefully read all the documentation that you posted on this subject, and must say once again I am amaized…. I understand alot of it more clearly now. I do not smile very much any more !!!. I guess it is because of the life I have led, with all the things that have happend to me in this journey. I believe that alot of my problems could be due to the fact that I simply do not smile enough. Although I can’t make any promisses, I will try it from now on. And once again my brother, keep e’m comming. I enjoy every single one of them that you post. and once again.Thank you, and keep up the good work. Love you brother…..

    Reply
  11. Susie

    Hey Jeff, I am so doing this the next time I am in traffic. The world does need more smiles 🙂

    Reply
    • divineimpacts

      Thanks for the comment Susie! You will enjoy it; oeven if you don’t get a smile return you yourself will have fun! Appreicate you stopping by! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Donovan Dreyer

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