Contagious Smile :)

They say a smile is contagious, that your smile can make another person smile. A smile can be welcoming, a frown is much less approachable.

I always wondered about that 'keep smiling' attitude of Americans. In some ways it seems so fabricated. Wherever you go, be it to a shop, restaurant or an event, people tend to smile a lot. Is it that they have no worries, or are in denial of the problems they face? Maybe. Or perhaps it makes facing problems and issues of life a more positive experience.

There's an interesting videoclip on TED about smiling and what it does to us and others. Even a fabricated smile can positively effect our mind and thought patterns. It seems a mystery that movement of certain facial muscles can have such a dramatic effect on us and others. But perhaps that's how God has created us, so smile in the midst of trials and adversity can lift the spirits of ourselves as well as others.

Sure, there is a time to weep and mourn, but even in the midst of loss, a sincere smile can brighten a gloomy soul. Years ago i looked at a study of where the happiest people live (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3157570.stm). Interesting that the place highest on the list was an African nation. The US was also relatively high along with Scandinavian countries. According to this study, some of the unhappiest people lived in Eastern Europe (hmm,.. i've noticed they don't smile so much, do they?).

Now how much does smiling have to do with our happiness? In all my travels, the friendliest smiling people i have met have been in the US, Scandinavia, and India of all places! I've never been to Africa, so i cant comment there, but it's interesting that a smile is not related to our standard of living. Perhaps a true smile is more an indication of our contentment. And just maybe that smile is developed by our posture of amazement...

Amazement? Just look at the smile created as a child discovers something new! Maybe we should be more amazed at how blessed we really are, and not taking the gifts of life for granted. Perhaps we should be more content, not with the things we have, but the relationships we enjoy. Happiness and contentment is based much more on relationships, both with our fellow person and with God, than it is about what we acquire or achieve. There's nothing like the smile of a truly happy and content individual. But even when a smile is fabricated, it does have a positive effect on ourselves as well as others. Isn't it amazing how God has created us to respond to a smile?

To quote someone who served and lived a life of amazement in one of the poorest places on our planet:

"I will never understand the good a simple smile can accomplish"
- Mother Teresa

So, share a smile with someone today!
:)