Just Smile!

Just Smile!

By Allen Merritt (©2017)

With all the ramblings going on with twitter postings, the Tweet posting I noticed today simply read, “Just smile!”

That’s all it said.

It’s those two little words I would like to focus on this week. Actually, I really want to discuss the topic of smiling.

I always had a goofy smile. Still do!  Many times it was overly animated, if not a little out of proportion. In fact, I remember a certain school year (I think it was my freshman year in high school) where I smiled so big my mother was sure it meant I was using drugs. I am not kidding! She really did accuse me of being high during photo day. Needless-to-say, this hurt my feelings at the time. It also made me self-conscious of smiling. Every photo I have taken since then has been tainted by whether or not my smile was misrepresenting me.

In any case, when I contemplate smiling, I am also reminded of the many times where people try to cheer you up or encourage you to smile and you don’t feel like it. As a result, you give one of those fake smiles just to appease everyone. It is so incredulous it looks unreal. It’s like a flash of a smile.

Buddhist tradition encourages us to start with a half smile, as long as it is genuine. Start there and before you know it you’re fully smiling and reflecting happiness. The art of smiling has to come from within to illuminate itself in an outward fashion.

Further thought on the art of smiling led me to consider why we smile, as well as the many ways we smile OR not.

For example, we smile as we celebrate, when we’re having a good time, when we witness other people and their celebrations, when we’re happy, excited or filled with sudden joy. Sometimes we smile just being in another person’s presence; when we’re content and aware of some sort of peace that surpasses our understanding. Out of nowhere we smile and aren’t always conscious as to why.

Then there are those times when we smile out of responsibility, obligation, respect, courtesy, kindness or to some degree out of appropriateness.  

The best smile is the one which is genuine. But we should be aware that smiling can be forced, as in when we do not want to or don’t mean it. Smiles can be toothy, open mouthed, round mouthed, wide in laughter mode (ear to ear) or even partial, as in a grin. My immediate thought to this end is when we are told by someone to have a good time whether we like it or not.

While shopping at a department store today, I guess the cashier sensed I was perturbed about something and very pensive. Her response to my demeanor was “Smile!” Then she began singing, “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.” At that moment, a little light bulb went off in my head and I gave her a smile, because I realized what she meant and how it all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Isn’t it interesting and fun when life syncs up what you are thinking about it? Here I was pondering a tweet about smiling and it comes back around to me while shopping.

Today, in response to the idea, I tweeted back the following statement: “‘elims’ spelled backwards is Smile!”

Simple and to the point, turn that frown upside down.

If you’re happy and you know it…well, simply spread a little sunshine called a smile. They say that a smile is contagious, so smile and pass it on. It’ll do us all a lot of good.

Now, everyone say, “Cheese!”

Hope this finds you well going into a new week of living life on a positive note.

Cheers!