Smile, and the world smiles with you. Weep, and you weep alone.”
Well, maybe that saying originally started out with “Laugh”, but “Smile” works just as well. Perhaps it shouldn’t be that way, and often moments of sorrow provide opportunities for others to demonstrate sincere God-inspired compassion.
But it’s still true that smiles are contagious!
That’s only one reason to be conscious of how often you smile. Smiling is good for your body, mind, and soul. It’s good for the people around you. And it can demonstrate an inner hope and peace that speaks of God’s work in your heart.
So, here are some specific reasons you should smile more often, and more sincerely:
- Smiling makes you look younger. Studies show people estimate smiling faces to be younger than frowning faces. Especially for women, this alone should make you choose to smile more often!
- Smiling improves your mental health. The physical act of smiling can alter your brain chemistry and your emotions. Here are some of the ways. Some people can actually improve mild depression simply by choosing to smile.
- Smiling helps other people trust you more. Think of two people, one who smiles and one who does not. Who do you trust more? Studies demonstrate most people trust one who smiles more than one who doesn’t.
- Smiling helps bring other people closer to you. You know this intuitively. You seem warmer, safer, and more attractive with a smile on your face. And positive responses from others only increase your positive feelings even more.
- Smiling improves your chance of success. People who smile more think better, are more likely to tackle new goals, and have more opportunities to advance than those who don’t. In short, that often leads to more success.
- Smiling reduces the negative impacts of stress. Studies show that the act of smiling, even if forced, can lower your heart rate, and impact your immune system.
- Smiling more helps you live longer. The combination of improved handling of stress and other physical benefits actually lengthens your life if you smile more. There are studies to prove it!
- Smiling is a smart choice. Smiling is not only a spontaneous response to something pleasant or funny: it’s also a choice that will help you look better, feel better, and function better. And we know a lot of the biology to prove it.
- Smiling helps to show you know God is in charge. We all face troubles in this world, but even in the face of loss and tragedy we can have hope. (1 Thess 4:13) Choosing to smile helps remind you, and others, that your God is big enough to handle it all.
- You have something to smile about. Yes, you do! You have a choice about what to think about. If nothing else, think about knowing a God who loves and cares about you, even when you don’t see it. Or check out these 25 Good Things to Think About.
Here’s how Habakkuk said it: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” (Hab 3:17-19 NIV)
Now, what are you smiling about?
Your turn: How good are you at smiling? What benefits do you think smiling more would have for you? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
- 10 ways smiling is good for your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Tweet This.
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