Don't Worry, Be Happy: How Smiling Can Change Everything
A Smile Testimony
At this time of year, most people are trying their best to be happy, feel the season of good will and all, but other people still struggle to plug into that feeling. It is not always seasonal, they just struggle to feel good or maybe even smile.
I often wonder why people seem reluctant to smile these days. It costs nothing to smile and yet it carries such powerful effects. You should try it right now, go ahead!
This article is all about gratitude and having a more positive outlook on life which will bring positive results. I want to share a story about a male client I had recently:
‘’I am somebody who used to, not always, but definitely far too much, think in a negative way, I have now managed to stop this, and my life has improved no end.
I now like to be around positive people, as these people tend to be more happy, emotionally stable, and in a lot of cases more successful, however you want to define that. In my opinion, there are too many people who are always moaning and groaning and are seemingly depressed.
Growing up, I had many things to be negative about; I had a stutter, I have a bald patch, I was overweight and am also quite short for a male at five foot four. I was one of the ones who walked around in a depressed state and I used to feel sorry for myself. Even when I think about it now, I laugh about how crazy I used to think.
“Smile, smile, smile at your mind as often as possible. Your smiling will considerably reduce your mind’s tearing tension.”
I realized early into my twenties that I needed to change my approach to life. I was quite fortunate in that I had a friend at the company I worked for, who was to prove an inspiration to me. His name was Stuart, and even though this may seem cruel, Stuart did not have a lot going for him. I won't go into details but let’s just say even with the problems I felt I had; I was not jealous of him. I became quite good friends with Stuart, and we would regularly have lunch together. I would meet him in the cafe at 1pm and would be waiting in my gloomy state of mind, with my gloomy face, for him to arrive. Arrive he certainly did, always with a beaming smile on his face.
This always amazed me, as I personally could never understand what he had to be happy about. We would sit down and talk while eating our lunch and he never had a negative word to say.
When he talked, he talked with passion, about his work and interests. One day it dawned on me, if Stuart (who from what I knew of him, seemingly has nothing going for him) can always be positive, happy and smiling, why can't I?
Now of course, even the way I looked at others was negative as that was my mindset back then and clearly, I was entirely wrong to think that way because Stuart was quite clearly amazing and now, I see that looking back, and I was the only one with nothing going for me, until I changed, because of him, without him even knowing really. He was the gift I needed and far from being a nothing, he gave me back my life.
This was the beginning of my new outlook on life. An era of being positive, appreciating what I have got and more than anything else, plenty of smiles. I now am happy with my weight, height, bald patch and am proud to say I have now overcome my stutter.
So, to pay it forward I now do all I can to show that anything is possible, and it can all start with a simple smile
We as a society need this subtle push into kindness. So, let’s get to smiling, you never know whose life might change because of it, starting with yours! Pay it forward!
“Use your smile to change the world but don’t let the world change your smile.”
