Throwing Down the SMILE Gauntlet

It’s FRIDAY! It is a day we all love to celebrate and a day that makes most of us smile.

In an article, The Untapped Power Of Smiling, he wrote last year for Forbes, Ron Gutman offers some very interesting statistics regarding smiling. Things like longer life, better marriages, more success and less stress. I think his ending paragraph sums up the varying studies “So now, whenever you want to look great and competent, improve your marriage, or reduce your stress…or whenever you want to feel as good as when you’ve enjoyed a stack of high quality chocolate without incurring the caloric cost, or as if you randomly found 25 grand in the pocket of a jacket you hadn’t worn for ages…or when you want to tap into a superpower and help yourself and others live longer, healthier happier lives…SMILE :-)”

Yesterday I read a blog post – 88 Ways To Make A Stranger Smile while I don’t agree that all 88 are ways to make a stranger smile, I do think it is a list of 88 ways to make someone smile. So, for today step out of your world of Self Absorption and let’s trying doing something for someone else. Like making a stranger (or even someone you know) smile! If you try it, you may just smile and well, that’s good for your health 😀

Here are a few of my favorite for making a stranger smile:

Be a courteous driver. Let people merge in front of you.
Clean out all your old clothes and donate them to someone in need.
Give a compliment about a waiter, waitress, sales clerk, etc. to his or her manager.
Compliment a stranger’s appearance. Flatter them
Help an elderly person carry something.
Donate blood.
Smile often.
Clean up after yourself.
Donate food to a charity.
Hold a door open for someone.
Say “Please” and “Thank you.”
Put some change in an expired parking meter.
Send letters of appreciation to business owners/managers and other people who support you.
If you see a couple taking a self-pic, offer to take the picture for them.