Connect With a Smile And Start a Movement

We all love making people smile, but sometimes we find ourselves simply looking the other way.

It’s easier.

There’s no risk of rejection or a negative response.

It also makes us miss out on some amazing opportunities to connect!

A smile is a language that even a baby understands.

We don’t often enough witness people going above and beyond just for the sake of a smile.

As I jumped on the bus the other day, the bus driver looked up at me with a big smile on his face and greeted me with a very enthusiastic “Hi!” as I scanned my ticket.

His energy made me smile instinctively.

As I sat down and watched the rest of the passengers get on, I noticed that he greeted each person the same way.

Every single one!

This experience inspired me.

It got me thinking. There are probably a lot of daily habits of mine that I would like to change.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily routines that when we have cultivated a bad habit, it goes unnoticed. We tend to our business and go through the motions of our day, without really putting ourselves out there to offer some “light” for people to be warmed by.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
~ Leo Buscaglia

I don’t interact with people as much as I would like, which in turn only keeps me from meeting new interesting people. I don’t interact with people with as much enthusiasm and positive energy as I could, which also limits the positive influence I may have on their day.

Definitely a good space for self-improvement here, so I began to explore this concept.

Making The Change

After pondering how this was relevant to my everyday life, I realised there’s a very common question asked around my office:

How are you?

There’s also a very common selection of standard answers:

   “Oh yeah….”
                         “Not bad”
                                          “Can’t complain”
                                                                        “Almost Friday”

I work in a corporate environment, and most people around here are either stressed and sick of work, or pretending they’re stressed and sick of work so that they fit in with the crowd.

They have the habit of being uninspired.

That’s not the best way to approach your day.

Well, not for this little black duck. I’ve decided things are going to change around here. 😉

The concept “Be the change you want to see in the world” has some exciting results when actively put into play. I’ve been spending the last few weeks making the conscious effort to “be the light” so to speak. Answering the “How are you?” question with a smile and a resounding “I’m wonderful!” or “Rather excellent, how are you?”.

You may be surprised with the kind of effect this has on someone’s day!

Now, I’ve noticed that it may take a little bit of practice. When I started saying “I’m excellent”, I don’t think I completely believed it within myself, and this slight hesitation did come across in the energy I gave out.

I over-compensated a little.

It probably seemed a little fake.

People aren’t quite sure how to react to this kind of “over-excited” energy.

This was just a part of my learning path though, and after a while (along with the meditation on mindfulness, and the growing awareness of my mood and my focus on any given moment) the truth began to surface as I settled into a state of flow. I began to project the transparent, honest, happy energy I was really feeling.

This went hand in hand with my growing awareness of the inherent beauty in the simple things. As I become more and more focused on the present, more mindful of the energies around me, appreciation of the universe and gratitude for life grows constantly.

When you really do feel excellent, and you’re caught up in the happy high of being grateful for all the little things in life, this energy translates very well and very easily into a force that people enjoy aligning with and find it easy to connect with and react well to.

It rubs off on people. Almost instantly!

It has the power to turn someone’s day around, and you see the change happening right in front of your eyes.

I love it 😀

I’ve set myself the goal of making the extra effort with everyone I meet, both strangers and long time friends alike! Taking that extra step to show my true self to the world, and allow the fire of my passions to blaze a path without hesitation.

Hopefully others may realize that one “Hello” from a smiling person can brighten someone’s entire day.

Perhaps they will carry this energy with them and share their smile with another soul.

I challenge you to explore this concept. Start a movement. Share your smile with the world!

Commit your whole being to welcoming the idea that you truly are grateful for everything that enters your life (good and bad), and that life is really an amazing path to be travelling.

You’ll begin to lift others up to new levels of awareness of themselves, and of the realisation of what’s truly possible!

How often do you share your smile with the world?