Category Archives: Smile

It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving

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“It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like the morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.”

—F. Scott Fitzgerald, 20th Century American novelist

Image from Unsplash by Hiki App

My morning walk with friends always begins with us smiling at each other. Allen even claps when new members of our club arrive! Who doesn’t like a standing ovation?

Here are a few more quotes I found that can help turn your frowns upside down:

“If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.”
(Maya Angelou)

“Life is like a mirror—smile at it and it smiles back at you.”
(Peace Pilgrim)

“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”
(Phyllis Diller)

EXERCISE:

To whom will you offer a friendly smile today, to help make their day more worth living?

“What can you smile about today?”

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“What can you smile about today?”

—Calm app Reflection

Barry and Weston

In late August, Wendy and I had the opportunity to watch our three-year-old grandson Weston for four days. We found it pretty hard to believe that we actually raised two adults—now 36 and 34—given our frequent need to nap when Weston did!

Along with puzzles, toys cars, reading books, and finding clever ways to avoid going to bed, Weston’s favorite toy is Play Doh. Over the years, he has assembled quite a collection of colors, and the other day he had the great idea of mixing them all together.

Being a serious guy, I was sure this was not appropriate. I insisted that he keep the colors separate, which made both Weston and my wife pretty upset.

Upon reflection, I realized that what mattered was the big smile this process brought to his little face, and not the grumpy, rigid method I was holding on to.

EXERCISE:

What brings a smile to your face?

Take a look at the grins of those you love and consider those smiles even more important than your own.

What can and will you do to bring even more miles of smiles to your world?

Friday Review: Smiling

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FRIDAY REVIEW: SMILING

How might you add more smiles to your face, and the faces of those around you? Here are a few smile-related posts you may have missed.

 

“If you see someone without a smile today, give them one of yours.”

 

 

 

“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”

 

 

 

 

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.”

 

 

 

 

If you see someone without a smile

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“If you see someone without a smile today, give them one of yours.”

—Dolly Parton, American singer, songwriter, and actress

Image of the book Be the Sun not the Salt

Image from Amazon

How much time each day do you spend reading for enjoyment and personal growth? For many people the answer may be, “Not much,” with the add-on phrase, “Who has the time?”

If this is the case for you, or even if reading is a significant part of your daily routine, I suggest a wonderful smile-inducing book called, Be the Sun Not the Salt by Dr. Harry D. Cohen.

A key concept he shares is the idea of being heliotropic, which is the tendency for all living systems to be drawn to the energy that sustains its life. Throughout the 71 pages of this book, I hope you will find yourself nodding and smiling at its many nuggets of wisdom.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you be more heliotropic and a more positive influence on others in your life?

Consider sharing a big genuine smile with others as a good place to start.

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.”

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“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.”

– Mark Twain, American author and humorist

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Image from Flickr by basykes

I am writing this post sitting in my 87-year-old father’s place in southern Florida. Besides enjoying the beautiful weather and time with family (my wife is here too), I’d like to share a wonderful surprise I had last night.

My dad lives in a senior community of about 15,000 people, during what is affectionately called the “snowbird season.” This place is something to see. Each week they have all kinds of top entertainment.

Last night was Tony Orlando, who I only remember from my youth. For two hours, this almost 70-year-old joyful and energetic performer took an audience of over 1,000 excited, hand-clapping, singing-along people on a wild ride down memory lane with songs from the likes of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, James Taylor, and a wide variety of his own hits.

The level of joy it brought to all of us points to the long and fulfilling lives these seniors continue to lead even today, given the beautiful “wrinkle-fest” we all experienced. 🙂

Exercise:

Do your best today to turn your own frown (and other people’s) upside down, and start an even bigger wrinkle collection of your own.

“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”

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“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”

– Phyllis Diller, late American comedian

Image from Unsplash by Petr Sevcovic

I recently attended a seminar where the speaker suggested that using Google was a great idea catalyst. From my research on the importance of smiling, here are a few interesting facts I’d like to share:

Smiling…

  • Slows the heart rate and relaxes the body.
  • Releases endorphins and diminishes stress and improves our mood.
  • Must have been used by the Seven Dwarves to increase their productivity as they whistled while they worked.
  • Improves relationships by increasing trust and building empathy.
  • Makes us more appealing and attractive – yes, smiling makes us look younger.
  • Improves our immune system and lowers our blood pressure.
  • Conveys optimism and positivity that helps us be more successful.

Exercise:

How can you smile more and turn that frown upside down to improve your life and, as Phyllis Diller suggests, to set everything straight?