Share a Smile

Smiling is a universal action that is welcoming and offers a sense of openness. Everyone likes to laugh, smile, and be happy. The reality is everyone is leading their own lives, with their own problems and is not happy all of the time. There is no requirement to be happy all of the time, people have bad days, weeks, or months of their lives. I believe small interactions can change the outlook of someone’s day—even a brief moment, for the better.

The simplest, easiest interaction, providing hardly any effort at all, is smiling at someone when walking by them. When I run and make eye contact with people, I try to smile and give them a wave of acknowledgement. Normally, people smile back if they see me. I have no idea how they feel 5 steps after smiling but in the moment of smiling, I believe they received an ounce of happiness. On the extreme, I believe someone could be having the worst day, and that smile could be a momentary release from their problems.

I have no issues being friendly to strangers in this way because I do not know what is going on in their lives nor do I know how my smile may change their day. I choose to live in the positive and believe sharing my smile or acknowledgment helps better their lives, even if it is just for a brief moment. At the same time, smiling brings me happiness so I also benefit on a personal level. I do not see a negative outcome of being more outgoing and friendly towards others in this way.

At a core concept, sharing a smile is only positive. There is no harm or strain in doing so. There is no telling the impact a simple smile could have on someone’s life. It may be extreme to say one smile could change someone’s life, but I like to believe in the possibilities of what kindness and acknowledgment can bring.

“Share laughs. Spread smiles.” —Matthew Strauss