Smile to heal

Charles Gordy writes, “A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks.” Imagine an instant solution to better looks and better relationships. Something simple, under your control. Inexpensive but priceless: it is a genuine and happy smile. Whatever clothes you wear, whatever make- up you invest in, the most effective beautifier is a happy smile. A smile that reaches your eyes and is from the heart and heals all whom it touches.

Smiling improves your relationships and social networks. Consider your professional life. Everyone who works with you expects affirmations and appreciation. Where you acknowledge a job well and do it with a smile, it humanises the moment and everyone gets a lot more out of the experience.

Service with a smile is a core value we preach to all frontline staff. A warm smile welcomes you and adds intangible value to any product or service. It puts customers at ease and makes them feel understood and valued. A false smile can put off customers just as a warm, sincere smile can put them at ease and ready to enjoy the experience or product.

A genuine smile can only start from deep down in yourself. Think happy thoughts and focus on appreciative thoughts of your life and the person in front of you. Smiling makes you look more confident and successful. Some people worry whether smiling can make them appear more vulnerable. This is true, because it opens you to others far more than a grim, unmoved expression. It makes you more acceptable and more appealing. It creates trust and support.

Life is a gift. Giving thanks every day, will certainly light up as a smile on your face. “Wrinkles should merely indicate where your smiles have been,” wrote Mark Twain. So go out there, grateful for the opportunity to enjoy your life. Look in the mirror, make sure you’re looking your best. Make sure you are wearing a happy, joyous smile!