Something to make you smile

Smile like you mean it, even if you don't

You’re walking down a quiet street and someone is walking past you. You try to resist the urge to make that face. You know the one I mean. That toothless smile we do. Halfway between confusion and a greeting.

We want to smile to acknowledge the other person but we don’t know them. In the Irish countryside where I’m from, this might be accompanied by a nod of the head and a “well, how-are-you-gettin-on”.

It looks something like this.

But even this half-hearted smile is better than nothing. You see, smiling has many benefits but I’m not here to bore you with the detailed science.

When you smile, you trigger the release of dopamine and serotonin, which boost your mood. These chemicals also reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels.

Try this.

Smile for 3 seconds.

I'm willing to bet that your smile lingered longer than 3 seconds. You also feel slightly better.

Have you ever noticed that when someone you’re looking at yawns, you do too? It’s contagious.

Smiling is too. Let’s think about this for a second. If smiling makes us feel good, and it is contagious, we can pretty much guarantee that we are making others feel better just by smiling at them.

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” - Maya Angelou

By nature, the more you smile the more you will make others feel good. The better you make others feel, the more they will like you. And the more they like you the easier you can manipulate them…

Relax that was a joke.

The next time you’re meeting someone, it doesn’t matter in what capacity, socially, business or just passing them in the street. Throw out a smile and see how it is reflected back to you. It doesn’t cost a thing.

Have yourself a great week,

Danny

p.s. New Video - something different, something relaxed