When people at my workplace smile at me, when people at the bank smile at me, or when strangers smile at me… they really brighten up my day, and I journal it, as one of the items in my gratitude journal!
Being observant of your surroundings is healthy and meaningful. Listen to the sounds that you are hearing, smell the scent of the flowers and trees, feel the pleasant breeze blowing through your hair, look at the flowers and trees in a very deliberate, mindful way, pay attention to children walking jubilantly on the sidewalks, pay attention to elders and see if they need help to open the door, and pay attention to people who cross your path and smile at them!
Your smile releases a cascade of neurotransmitters and hormones in your brain, which can help you reduce stress, generate positive emotions, improve your health, appear more attractive, and live a longer life (Abel & Kruger, 2010; Golle, Mast, & Lobmaier, 2014; Lane, 2000)!
Smile; it’s free therapy! (Douglas Horton)
Your smile is contagious; when you smile at others, it is likely that they will smile back at you (Hatfield, Cacioppo, & Rapson, 1992). Your smile, although it may seem like a small effort, is literally an act of kindness; you are passing on kindness and making the world a much more beautiful place!
To all the nice people, thank you for smiling at me and brightening up my days! :)
Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. (Mother Teresa)
Make someone smile whenever you can, you never know how much of a difference you could be making in their life at that moment. (Author Unknown)
Smiling at a stranger with eye contact that lingers and says with no words, “I see you” and “They truly see me!” Then the smile isn’t just polite anymore; it’s real. The whole world seems to pause and what was once rushed gets remembered. (Julia Monroe)
Affirmation: I enrich my life when I smile!
References
Abel, E. L., & Kruger, M. L. (2010). Smile intensity in photographs predicts longevity. Psychological Science, 21(4), 542-544. doi:10.1177/095679761036377
Golle, J., Mast, F. W., & Lobmaier, J. S. (2014). Something to smile about: The interrelationship between attractiveness and emotional expression. Cognition and Emotion, 28(2), 298-310. doi:10.1080/02699931.2013.817383
Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J. T., & Rapson, R. L. (1992). Primitive emotional contagion. In M. S. Clark (Ed.), Emotion and social behaviour: Review of personality and social psychology (pp. 151-177). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Lane, R. D. R. (2000). Neural correlates of conscious emotional experience. In R. D. R., Lane, L. Nadel, G. L. Ahern, J. J. B. Allen, & A. W. Kaszniak (Eds.), Cognitive neuroscience of emotion (pp. 345-370). New York, US: Oxford University Press.