Just smile

This morning I watched a really sweet You Tube video posted on Facebook by Laura Cooper on a post by author Karen Hawkins. As I watched I was reminded of my days driving a school bus and the kids saying I was the most smiling bus driver they'd ever had.  I guess I really was as it had always been sort of an armor for me, the way I hid whatever angst I was living through at the time. Funny how my carefully maintained armor became such an ingrained habit that it was no longer a place to hide, but a place to shine. It seemed that the more I smiled, the easier it became to deal with any problems, and the happier I felt!

Dale Carnegie said that smiles help win friends and influence people. How very true that is. I can't count the times I have been impressed by someone smiling at me, be it a grocery store clerk or the judge in a court room. And I mean real smiles. Very often smiles are simply the stretching of lips into a pretend smile, one designed to be polite. That is not what smiles are about. A real smile comes from the heart and lifts the spirits of the receiver. Well, hopefully. Maybe not always, but it sure can't hurt to try!

Researchers claim that smiling people are judged to be more attractive, sincere and competent. Of course most of us already knew that, but isn't it nice to have it verified?  A study in 1995 even found that judges and juries were more lenient with smiling offenders. If I ever get in trouble with the law I'll remember that!!

 Quotes, poems and entire books have been written about smiles. So many to choose from; a dashing smile from an arrogant Duke, a sullen smile from a disgruntled suitor, a tender smile from a mother, a sad smile from a lost love, a sneering smile from an enemy, a happy grin from a winner, a flashing smile from a flirt, an understanding smile from a friend, oh there are so many ways to smile and each expresses our feelings. Wouldn't it be nice if all our smiles lifted someones spirits? Have you ever had someone smile at you and make your day? More importantly, have you ever smiled at someone and made their day? 

Watch the video and I hope it makes you smile. http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DrUyZ9TklRxs&h=eAQFJFnsfAQFBA--ZVmCWQWt8ITDGfp7PyhtUttgZOpUJTA (What I really hope is that the video actually works.)

Have a wonderful day and remember to smile!