Brianna Kahane is not only an 8 year old violin prodigy, she is a humanitarian.
“I want to bring music back to Haiti and have
Mr. Joseph’s school rebuilt because I think all people
in Haiti were smiling and need to smile now too.”
Inspired by Haitian music teacher Romel Joseph, who was buried for 18 hours under the ruble of his music school during the Haitian earthquake, she has raised millions of dollars to help him rebuild his school and his smile. Thank you Brianna!
“You can’t get to wonderful without passing through alright.”
~ Bill Withers, Singer/Songwriter
This video and book (see link below) on Wisdom by Andrew Zuckerman are not to be missed. What a stunningly beautiful and simple testimony to the power of experience and insight from some of our great elders including Judi Dench, Clint Eastwood, Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, and Robert Redford.
I noticed that there was a seriousness to this video and not a lot of smiles. However, this is one case where the messengers are accomplished and respected celebrities and the messages are so valuable and full of good intention that my heart and spirit are smiling and grateful. Take a look and let me know what you think.
“Use your talents to make someone smile.
That’s what they are there for.”
~ Tara Stiles~
If you haven’t ever done yoga, Tara Stiles is a wonderful person from whom to begin learning about it. If you have done yoga, and don’t know her, check out her blog. Either way, she’ll make you smile while you’re on your way to a healthier body and life.
On one of her recent blog posts on Huffington Post, I found this quote about being yourself that is a great reminder of the value of doing what it takes to keep a smile on your face. It’s not always easy, but it is always worth it.
People we collectively admire, whether they are saints, teachers, leaders, actors, famous or not, all have one big thing in common. They all have followed their own path, walked in their own shoes, and tuned out the noise and distractions of anything that pulled them in any direction other than their own. We all can do this. It’s not easy but it is possible. There is not a single person on this planet that is exactly the same (until this whole clone thing gets kicked off). We each have something special to contribute to this world. It takes desire, strength, courage and a lot of tough choices to stay on your path, but you are worth it. We all are worth it. When you walk into a room and you are completely, totally you, that is worlds more powerful than a version of you that you have altered to try to be like someone or something else. >>
One of the ways to follow your own path and be completely totally you is to follow your smile. It will always lead you to someplace wonderful.
And please let me know where it leads you. Your smile makes me and the rest of the world smile too.
Horses have always amazed and delighted me. The few times I’ve galloped on a horse, and the many times I’ve watched them run free in an open field, their power and speed has left me breathless.
As a preteen I longed to ride at Joy Farm during the summers where my two friends Margaret and Tom became blue ribbon riders. When my father said it was too expensive to send me, I settled into living vicariously through the stories of my friends and became a great fan of the weekly TV show Mr. Ed, the talking horse and his friend Wilbur.
In my 20’s, finally self-supporting, I actually rented a horse for a month for $35 - paid for the privilege of grooming and riding on weekends - and being bucked by a white stallion when I made the mistake of thinking that holding the reins tells the horse you’re the one in control.
Since then I’ve learned a lot about horses and myself, so when I saw this video of Shagra, the smiling horse, it tapped into the reminder of the greatest gifts I’ve been given from horses and actually, all the animals in my life: learning how to trust and care for them, and in return, receiving love, acceptance, and joy.
Watch this video and be prepared to smile all the way through as you experience the devotion and playfulness between Shagra and his human companion Phyllis that led to her overcoming alcoholism and unhealthy choices and finding peace and happiness.
What about you? Has there been a special connection with a horse or other animal that has made you smile and deepened your joy for life?
Michael Jackson burst into my life when I was a junior in high school and I first heard him sing, “I Want You Back” on the radio.
I remember driving around that summer with friends in my mom’s burgundy ‘68 mustang convertible with the white top down, going to Kopp’s Drive-In in Milwaukee and blasting the radio volume, singing along with this 10 year old boy whose voice secretly captivated even the most jaded and prejudiced of our still unofficially segregated city.
My friend Kathy, now a brilliant attorney representing Native Americans, danced and sang with abandon to his music and entertained us all at 16 years old, leading to smiles that erupted into peals of laughter and a group sing-a-long. In a recent phone call remembering that special time, she said to me, “I think his music opened doors for all of us to really appreciate African-American music and other cultures in a way we couldn’t have otherwise.”
Fast forward 40 years, in San Diego, just 90 miles away from Neverland and Staples Center where the Memorial was going on today, I watched on CNN as Michael Jackson was being remembered by his close friend Brook Shields. I was surprised to learn that even with all the masterpiece songs he wrote and performed, his favorite song was also one of my favorites: “Smile.”
While writing this post I was also surprised to discover during a google search for the “Smile” lyrics that they were written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons in 1954 for Nat King Cole and to the melody written by Charlie Chaplin in 1936 to accompany his last silent film “Modern Times.” Perhaps a trite detail unless you consider a deeper meaning: a genuine smile transcends all human barriers including race, culture, language, age, gender, personality, and often, even attitude.
Some with “atittude” say that “Smile though your heart is aching” is being inauthentic. Sometimes, depending on the circumstances. No question, there are times when it feels like it’s impossible to smile, and given Michael Jackson’s life and death, he had many of those times, like we all do if we’re honest with each other. And yet, he kept trying to smile and share his creative genius in whatever way he could.
My own experience and new scientific research is showing that consciously choosing to smile makes you feel better and relieves pain and sadness in the moment. And yes, the song’s lyrics do say, “Hide every trace of sadness…what’s the use of crying,” which is a great drive-time platitude, but as in the case of Michael Jackson and anyone else with significant pain of any type, smiling as your primary strategy to hide sadness instead of addressing the pain head-on with professional help doesn’t eliminate personal challenges and weaknesses, and often makes things worse.
But smiling is an empowering short-term coping strategy, especially combined with singing and dancing and connecting with people you love. Your smile has the power to lift you or someone you love out of a funk. Your smile is the inspiration to get everyone focused on what’s right with our world so we have the strength to heal what’s wrong in our world. Here’s the catch though, we have to take a stand to help each other choose to smile and sing and dance AND lovingly witness each other’s pain when we most want to ignore it - again and again and again - to keep the energy moving in a healthy direction.
It’s easy enough to focus on our own shortcomings, even more so others, especially when they’re alive, and so much easier to focus on their gifts and strengths after they’ve died. I don’t pretend to understand Michael Jackson’s lifestyle choices, so I choose to focus on his gifts and learn from his shadow behavior, believing that ultimately this choice is what transforms human frailities into divine legacies.
My prayer and vision for our world is that the legacy of Michael Jackson will guide us as a global community to choose to carry on the absolutely life-saving power of holding each other in our strengths, celebrating each other’s gifts, and bringing light to our shadows while we’re alive so that the only choice each one of us can heartfully and logically make when we struggle is to heal the shadow, seek the light in our smile and keep choosing to fully and creatively live the life we’ve been gifted.
SMILE
Smile though your heart is aching;
Smile even though it’s breaking.
When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by.
If you smile through your fear and sorrow,
Smile and maybe tomorrow,
You’ll see the sun come shining through for you.
Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness.
Although a tear may be ever so near,
That’s the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile,
If you just smile.
That’s the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.
We mourn the loss of Michael Jackson and may not be able to bring him back, but we can thank him by choosing to pay forward the legacy of his creative spirit and loving heart. Watch him singing, “Smile,” on this touching video tribute.
If you’re unable to view the video, here is the YouTube link: http://bit.ly/v6Xom
Take today to the top! Watch the 3 minute video “Smile and Move”
When I first saw the headline “Smile and Move,” I thought excitedly, “Oh, that’s great! Someone’s taken the Smile Diet and Body Shake that I teach in my seminars to raise your enthusiasm and body energy and they turned it into a video! Brilliant! I want to know more!”
As it turns out, “Smile and Move” is another great application - also in The Smile Diet - of focusing on using your strengths and passion to serve others with the same intended result as The Smile Diet: Seek out what inspires you, appreciate what inspires you, and enthuse the world with what inspires you every day. Enthusiasm is your Spirit’s inspiration in action.
The story behind “Smile and Move” makes it even better. What a great way to remind yourself of the power of your smile and your ability to move into positive action and help children and employees do the same by focusing on your greater vision for your actions.
There are also some great tips on the website to create a “Smile and Move” workplace. Here are two of my favorites:
Greet interruptions from team members and colleagues with a smile. It’s important that they feel comfortable coming to you when they need something.
Avoid personal gossip in the office, and encourage your team to do the same. Strike an upbeat tone to help people focus on one another’s accomplishments.
Take your day to the top! Smile and Move! Mary
For more “Smile and Move” tips or to read the story behind “Smile and Move,” click here.
This is such a fun song by Dan Zanes guaranteed to make you smile. Take a 2 minute break, turn up your speakers and keep smiling while you’re listening. When you consciously smile while you’re listening to and watching something you enjoy, you crank up your internal endorphin machine that helps relieve more stress from your body and increases your happiness level.
SMILE (lyrics) by Dan Zanes
every time I think of you,
smile for a while
that’s the one thing you always do
smile smile smile
acting out stories and hugging your friends
smile for a while
i know what i’ll do when i see you again
i’m gonna smile smile smile
chorus:
like ripples in a pond
or runners who pass the baton
good feelings will go on for mile after mile
and your big heart circles the world
every time that you smile
doing those voices and telling your jokes
smile for a while
your crazy hairdos and your thrift shop coats
smile smile smile
every time you break into a broadway song
smile for a while
the whole world starts singing along
smile smile smile
well you know i love you and i’m glad you’re my friend
smile for a while
you know what i’ll do when i see you again
smile smile smile
What you do is so important. And when you forget it, watch this short video clip, “Validation.â€
Validating yourself or someone else with a smile and a compliment is one of the fastest ways to make your life better and someone else’s. My friend and gifted art therapist Donna Otter just sent me a YouTube video “Validation.†It is SO GOOD that it even resurrected this blog after a year of silence! “Validation” is one of the best short films I’ve ever seen. I smiled, I laughed, I cried - all within 15 minutes. I realized again how much we all need each other’s smiles and encouraging words every day wherever we find ourselves - waiting lines are a great place to start, and especially the DMV office.
You just never know when your smile will change someone’s life. Kudos to the creators of this film. If everyone followed the heart and humor of Hugh Newman (the lead character in this film), there would be peace everywhere on our precious planet, or at the very least a lot more happy people floating around. Peace starts with a smile. Watch the video (as of this writing there have been 969,066 views!), and then go give someone a genuine 16 second smile and tell them how great they are. I’m sending you a 16-second smile right now. YOU are great!
“When you rise in the morning, form a resolution to make the day happy for one fellow creature.”
~ Sydney Smith Â
What a simple and beautiful way to heal the world’s pain and create more joy, one fellow creature at a time. And a great reminder to do your 16-second smile in the morning and commit to sharing it with one other person every day, maybe even the person who most pushes your buttons.Imagine if every time we connected with another person, our only intention was to make the moment happier for that person, whether it’s the button-pusher or the person in the mirror.Â
When was the last time you gave yourself or someone else a 16-Second Smile?
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PS. If you haven’t seen Mr. Positive’s new movie, “The Rules of Life,” treat yourself and take a 3 minute break now. You’ll smile the whole way through it.
If you’ve ever questioned your ability to rise above difficult circumstances, you CAN. Just read this story and watch the video and you will be transformed.
Now they’ve done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don’t you think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you’d do on your own? “No way,” he says. Dick does it purely for the awesome feeling he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
If you haven’t ever done yoga, Tara Stiles is a wonderful person from whom to begin learning about it. If you have done yoga, and don’t know her, check out 
Horses have always amazed and delighted me. The few times I’ve galloped on a horse, and the many times I’ve watched them run free in an open field, their power and speed has left me breathless.
