Watching urbanites in the downtown core, I often get a sense people have forgotten they can smile. So many times I've seen frowns, and wonder if it is a permanent irreversible phenomenon. However I tested this hypothesis and discovered that most often if you GIVE a smile first, you will 8 out of 10 times receive one back.
Begin with the goal to smile more often, even if you think you have nothing to smile about.
When you smile you engage not only muscles and nerve cells, but you also set off a POWERFUL cascade of chemical reactions in your body. EVEN if you don't think you have anything to smile about! It is almost like you are tricking the body, and it then changes chemically and boom you feel better almost INSTANTANEOUSLY!
I can hear the skeptics and naysayers out there. I'm not saying to fake a smile, or your happiness. I am saying CHANGE your perception of any disagreeable or less favourable situation that presents itself and smile with gratitude. We always have something we can muster a SMILE about. Always! It is your choice.
Some of my work brings me to engage with very low income individuals who are dealing with serious illness. I can't tell you how many of them smile for no reason, smile because they receive benefits and help, and truly are gracious for what they indeed already have, as little as it may appear to be.
Most don't come in frowning and with the attitude that everything is due to them. Many come in beaming, ready to learn and BE the joy they really are. It is truly the most inspiring and heart moving work I do. I can't help but SMILE when I see that genuine energy, and it is most humbling on so many levels.
Smiling is BODY LANGUAGE!
Smiling is part of body language. You can travel to any place in the world, and find that smiling is your common thread. We don't need to know every language. We already are connected beyond words.
Here is how smiling will help you in work and play:
- When you smile you give the signal that you are approachable. This is important in social interaction, relationships, business deals, interviews, and sales! It helps to offer an energy of positivity so that the ice so to speak is broken.
- When you smile, you send off an energy that will encourage the other to mirror your action. This is NLP. So most often you will receive one back! Smiling becomes contagious, just like laughter can be.
- When you smile you actually calm your nervous system down, thereby relaxing the stress response of your adrenals. Stress puts you in survival mode, and this can lead to adrenal burn out, chronic fatigue, and disease.
When your body receives that message it will respond by FEELING ok. Because your telling it things are good. Seems obvious, but we often don't do this because we think we CAN'T feel good.
Now your body gives your mind a return message saying "I feel good, everything is ok over here, and you don't have to THINK otherwise". This is how our mind and body work. As an inseperable team. I'm really simplifying the science behind this. Essentially there is constant communication and feedback of messages. So your BODY also HAS A MIND! This is so crucial to realize. Your body acts just like a mind. So your every thought, feeling and action (smiling) will AFFECT IT!
Isn't that so cool?!!!
This point alone should encourage you to smile from the moment you open your eyes till you lay back down to bed. The fact that you can change your own point of attraction, state or energy is HUGE. This means you are in POWER of your own feelings, and you get to choose what you desire to experience. The external circumstances can't take that smile away from you!
Do you get this?
Remember the movie La Vita e' Bella with the goofy yet loveable Roberto Benigni? That movie exemplifies my point entirely. He choose to smile, and give his son a different experience of the tragedy before their eyes. He could have frowned, cried, and settle into a victim state and died much earlier. Instead he choose to believe in his own power to create his OWN REALITY. And dismissed the external tortuous one.
His smile, made his son smile and this gave him reason to live. He didn't know if he would die or when. But he made the most of whatever was right before him. He became present and allowed his son to see the power of perception.
Start smiling. Trust me you look better that way too. :)
Namaste
Piera
Even though it sounds too simple, it does work....thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you Hugh!!! Yes it really does work. We just need to remind ourselves to do it more and realize it really isn't so hard to find things to smile about :)
DeleteLove
Piera