Smile

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.   — Thich Nhat Hanh

The best time to smile is when there’s no reason to smile. Because that’s when a smile can make the biggest positive difference. As soon as you put a smile on your face, your mind starts frantically searching for things that will justify that smile. And your mind, powerful as it is, finds those things.

Smile, and you begin to tune in to the positive possibilities. It sounds simple and even silly, but it works. Emotions have physical manifestations, so that when you act like you’re happy, that actually begins to make you happy. When you sit up straight, hold your head up high, and take a deep breath of fresh air, it instantly makes you more confident, energetic and enthusiastic.

Add to that the fact that your body language bounces off the other people who are around you, and comes back to you. A smile can be contagious, and the smiles you receive will reinforce the positive power of your own smile. Sure, some people will be grumpy and not return your smile. But it costs you nothing to offer a smile to life, and it vastly increases the odds of receiving something positive and valuable in return.