Month: April 2016

smiling more.  I’m not talking about the closed mouth, slight turn of the lips smile you give the checker at the grocery store.  Or the millisecond one you offer the driver who pulls up next to you as and you grip the steering wheel, willing the light to change.

I’m talking about a full monty, teeth barring, cheek pinching, ear to ear grin. 

Really, how often do we wield that smile?  I know. . . it’s reserved for special occasions.  Weddings, birth of babies, raises, when that dress in the back of the closest fits again, or in my case, an agent wanting to see my manuscript.

Is the perfect smile like the newest hardware release where there’s a limited amount available?  Are you holding onto smiles that might change a person’s day, or at least influence a singular moment as they bask unexpectedly on your pearly whites?

Facial muscles.  That’s all that is required.  The cool thing is giving this simple gift benefits you.  A few of my favorites are:

makes you more attractive

releases stress

boosts your immune system

lowers blood pressure

helps you stay positive

My challenge to you;  grin like you just won the lotto, until your cheeks hurt.  Do this at least 5 times a day for 7 days.  Post your results and comments. 

*** My results below – do you have a story that beats mine?***

Think of all the things 35 smiles could bring.  Brightening a gloomy day, halting a tear from leaking out, giving someone a reason to try harder, making a stranger feel loved.

On a personal note: I recently attended a meeting with  a small group of writers that share their struggles and highs over a cup of coffee.  A new woman sat down next to me.  She was bubbly,  full of ideas and passion.  I left thinking… next time I’m having what she’s having!   But once I got home and sat behind the computer, what I remembered most about her was her non stop smile.  So that’s what I’m having (big ass smiles), at least for the next 7 days.   

Results:

Sadly, I didn’t make 35 smiles.  But when I purposely spread my cheeks to maximum girth, I felt an instant boost in my mood.  Even if the smiley face was directed outward, somehow it seeped inside me, all the way down to my toes.  I was visiting a grieving friend where happy thoughts were deep in the cracks and hard to find.  She played with me and we smiled, most of the time, at each other.  Then we would laugh.  It was great!  What did I learn?   That quality always trumps quantity.  Sometimes, one great big ass smile is all that is needed.