It All Starts With A Smile

A smile is a powerful thing.

People from everywhere around the world smile when they are happy. This is a world wide phenomenon common to every culture and country on this planet. A smile is one thing that links every human being on earth, we all smile and we all feel good when we smile.

So why don't we smile more? I know that the world is in a state of turmoil, uncertainty is prevalent everywhere you turn, but if you can just find something in your daily life to smile about you will notice that you mood becomes lighter, your willing to pass your smile on to others along the way and you feel more connected to the world around you.

Do you want to make yourself feel better, achieve this in an instant, no medication or alcohol needed. All you need to do is lift the corners of your mouth and smile. After just a few minutes you will notice the difference in your attitude as the tension seems to fade. Do you feel calmer, more relaxed? I knew you would.

Studies have shown that even a fake smile will help you to find the lighter side of most situations. Bite your tongue and paste that smile on when you all you want to do is let your frustrations fly and you will notice that afterwards the situation wasn't really that bad to deal with.

Guess what the side effect of smiling is, the laugh. Everyone knows that laughter is the best medicine. Studies at the University of Maryland Medical Center have shown that laughter increases your blood flow, can lower blood sugar in diabetics, relaxes the muscles, helps in regulating the immune system and burns calories. It's true, researchers at Vanderbilt University have discovered that 15 minutes of laughing can burn up to 40 calories. Laughter has also been described as the "tranquillizer with no side effects."

The next time you’re frustrated with someone or something try smiling even if you don't mean it. You will notice that it is hard to stay angry while you are doing this. The added benefit is that it completely confuses whoever you were butting heads with. Opponents are ready for just about any kind of verbal abuse but are thrown completely off course by a smile and a laugh. It doesn't take long for them to either join in or throw their hands up in frustration and storm off, either way you win.

With all the benefits and advantages smiling gives you, you would think more people would be doing it. Maybe everyone just needs to practice a little more, remember it all starts with a smile.