“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity.
These are but trifles, to be sure;
but scattered along life’s pathway,
the good they do is inconceivable.”
~ Joseph Addison
Sun and smiles are trifles? Without the sun and smiles, there would be no flowers or friendship, two of the most inconceivably good things on the planet. Spend some time today enjoying the sun and sharing your smile. We all need both.
“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.
“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter,
for in the dew of little things
the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”
~ Kahlil Gibran ~
Who in your life could use a little laughter right now? You?
Click here and take a 30-second laugh break.
(Quotation courtesy of HeartMath daily quotations)
Bumpersticker Smile
On my walk today I couldn’t help but notice this huge bumpersticker on a parked SUV that said, “I Love My Wife.” I immediately smiled and felt good, imagining a really happily married couple.
Then I wondered what the husband might have done that his wife forgave him for and thrilled him so much he was compelled to announce how grateful he was to the world.
Then I wondered if perhaps his wife put it on the window to remind Hubby to pay more attention to her.
Whatever the reason, it made me smile again, so I got up close to take a photo. Then I noticed the license plate:
“DrLasik.”
Made me want to break out singing, “I can see clearly now…”
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?
“A horse is an angel without wings.”
Give an extra smile to someone today. You never know when it might save a life. And at the very least, it will increase your vibration.
Here are some of my favorite smile quotations from the Internet. All are credited to that famous philosopher Anonymous. If you can prove the original author, please let me know, as I think it’s important to give recognition wherever we can.
 “Don’t frown because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.”
(Found the above quotation in several places, including the awesome Small Business Social Media Expert Karriann Graf (read her blog)
“A smile is a light in the window of your face to show your heart is at home.”
“Don’t cry because its over, Smile because it happened!”
“If you don’t start out the day with a smile, it’s not too late to start practicing for tomorrow.”
“Smile - it increases your face value.”
MM
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:
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.
The Ninety-Second Smile Challenge: What a great way to help another person, particularly a child, understand that they have the power to change their mood and that their energy is contagious. From a blog entry by Billy Obenauer
 “Okay,” I said. “Here’s the challenge. I’m going to set my watch for a minute and a half,” I told him, “and I want you to force yourself to smile for the entire time. At the end of ninety seconds, you can do whatever you want, but I promise that you’ll be in a good mood. Do you want to give it a try?” Read more
Since creating the 21-Day Smile Diet several years ago, I’ve recommended that people wake up every morning and practice the 16-Second Smile. But this is first time that I’ve heard someone suggest a 90-second smile. No question that the longer you hold a smile, the more your physiology changes for the better. But most people will not allow themselves that opportunity unless they’re asked to do it. And even then, there is often resistance.
Over 20 years ago I was in a seminar with a speaker who had us partner up and stare at each other for 90 seconds and not say a word or make any noise. I laughed and thought, “What’s the big deal?” OMG! Try it sometime! Especially with someone you don’t know well or have never met before. One of the most embarrassingly uncomfortable 90 seconds I can remember on record. And the interesting thing is that the person I was partnered with became a friend and we are still in touch although we have always lived more than 2500 miles apart. We both attribute the reason to that 90 seconds in time when we peered into the windows of each other’s soul’s. I wonder now, how that 90 seconds might have been easier and more enjoyable if the instructor had said, “Smile at each other for 90 seconds.”
Hmmm…also makes me wonder how our day might turn out if we started our morning dressing ritual with a 90-second smile in the mirror and the words “Thank You.”
Sign up for your free Smile Diet 7-Day eCourse.
