A simple smile can change so much.
As a kid it was so easy to smile for the silliest and smallest things. It was the first thing we did when approaching others, even if we didn't know them.
To smile is one of the first behavior patterns we learn as humans and we also learn that as a result it can open doors for us.
Growing up we are confronted with so many other feelings, good and bad, that we tend to forget to smile.
So many people are consumed with bad feelings, that it makes it harder and harder for them to smile at all. We all know these bitter elder people, that seem to be looking for something that is bad, to be able to complain about it. It doesn't take long for them to find it.
A smile can change any behavior.
It can change your own behavior and the behavior of the ones we are communicating to.
When we are feeling good, have achieved something great, smiling comes naturally. We walk with our heads up high and the biggest smile we can possible produce.
The impact we have in that moment on the people surrounding us is amazing.
People around us start mirroring our behavior and start smiling themselves. We might not notice it, but it happens. If we keep this state of mind a little longer, we can achieve so much more, because our whole system is on a winning streak. We become more productive, creative and solution oriented. And we inspire others to achieve more themselves.
Truth is, we don't always feel like smiling. Sometimes something bad happens and it gets really hard to smile. If we try it anyway and force us to smile, we will automatically feel better. We can actually fool our brain into feeling happy, or at least happier.
Smiling can not only be seen; it can also be heard. In telephone sales trainings, people get told to smile when talking to potential customers on the phone. The words a smiling person says are perceived friendlier, more interesting and trustworthy, then the words from a non-smiling person.
Have you ever tried to walk around through a city or an airport and smile at the people around you? The reactions you get from complete strangers are amazing. So many people smile back at you. If you are struggling to feel better, this is a great way of achieving it.
In any office surrounding you can create a good atmosphere, when you do that frequently. The good atmosphere might turn into good collaboration and this into good results.
A Chinese proverb states: “A person without a smiling face must never open a shop”
But of course, you have to mean it!
A fake smile is worse than not smiling at all.
Try it! You will see how it works!