5 Reasons to Smile

Do you have a reason not to smile? Are you going through a difficult patch in your life right now? Are you feeling overcome with stress? Does everyone around you seem grumpy? Well I am challenging you with five great reasons to smile.

1. Smiles can change the mood in others.
If you smile at someone then you are likely to make them feel welcomed, warmed and safe. If they are a stranger, then their first impression of you will be good. Because of this, potentially volatile situations can be calmed with a smile. I’m not talking about a cynical smile or any other kind of superficial grin. I’m talking about a genuine smile that speaks of honesty and good will.

2. A smile has a way of changing your own attitude.
When I was suffering from a mild case of depression, when nothing was going right and the world seemed against me, a friend offered me some advice. She told me to stand in front of the mirror in the mornings and smile. I was of course reluctant. I felt stupid and I certainly didn’t like looking at myself. But I did it. I stood there and smiled. It started as a real teeth-gritter. I looked like something gone feral. Then I tried again. This time the smile softened. I tried beaming at myself and it worked. I instantly felt better and happier. After practicing this for a while, my whole attitude changed. I decided to smile at the world, regardless.

3. Smiles keep you healthy.
There are statics that say happy people live longer. When we smile, we are happy, and happiness boosts our immune systems. Stress and worries may still be a concern, but smiling defuses their power over us. We become stronger in all that we do.

4. You can change the world with a smile.
Smiles are an amazing thing because they are infectious. If you smile at someone, then they are more likely to return that smile. They then become more willing to share their smile with someone else. And so it spreads.

5. Smiles are a gift.
God gave us the gift of smiling. No other creature can do the same. Monkeys may be able to imitate it, but they're merely baring their teeth. For us, smiles show our love for one another. They display kindness. They make us feel comfortable.We smile in fellowship.

So let’s use this gift and start changing ourselves and the world – with a smile.

Can you think of other reasons to smile?