Smile, and the world smiles with you.
Well, maybe that saying originally started out with “Laugh”, but “Smile” works just as well. Perhaps it shouldn’t be that way, and often moments of sorrow provide opportunities for others to demonstrate sincere God-inspired compassion.
But it’s still true that smiles are contagious!
That’s only one reason to be conscious of how often you smile. Smiling is good for your body, mind, and soul. It’s good for the people around you. And it can demonstrate an inner hope and peace that speaks of God’s work in your heart.
So, here are some specific reasons you should smile more often, and more sincerely:
- Smiling makes you look younger. Studies showpeople estimate smiling faces to be younger than frowning faces. Especially for women, this alone should make you choose to smile more often!
- Smiling improves your mental health. The physical act of smiling can alter your brain chemistry and your emotions. Here are some of the ways. Some people can actually improve mild depression simply by choosing to smile.
- Smiling helps other people trust you more. Think of two people, one who smiles and one who does not. Who do you trust more? Studies demonstrate most people trust one who smiles more than one who doesn’t.
- Smiling helps bring other people closer to you. You know this intuitively. You seem warmer, safer, and more attractive with a smile on your face. And positive responses from others only increase your positive feelings even more.
- Smiling improves your chance of success. People who smile more think better, are more likely to tackle new goals, and have more opportunities to advance than those who don’t. In short, that often leads to more success.