I remember my grandma taking a picture of me when I was a child and in a grumpy mood, she told me to smile, so I did. I wasn’t happy about it, but I still did it. When I think of being filled with joy I assume wearing a smile is part of that. I was not filled with joy that day. The Bible talks a lot about joy. It’s one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 15:13 says “A glad heart lights up the face, but an anguished heart breaks the spirit.”
Do you know the power that a smile holds? I have read about this and it dawned on me the other day when I was in a bad mood, that I needed to turn my mood around for myself and those around me, aka my children. A bad mood will rub off onto other people, but a good mood and smile also will.
So why is a smile so powerful? Well, according to many sources, it can reduce stress, help heart health, lower blood pressure, and boost your immune system by decreasing cortisol in the body. A simple smile, genuine or even forced, prompts the brain to produce endorphins and serotonin, causing positive emotions.
When we smile we affect not only ourselves, but also those around us. Have you ever had a stranger smile at you? It makes a world of difference vs. a scowl or diverted eyes. A smile is contagious, people are drawn to others who smile, it makes you appear more confident, and even more youthful because it uses muscles that lift the face making a person appear younger. There have been many studies about smiling and its effects. Smiling puts us in a better mood, which makes us happy and life is so much better when we are happy. Even if you have to force yourself to smile some days, it will help you to get in a better mood along with all the other benefits. [Fake it ‘til you make it.]
With all these benefits I am going to make it a point to smile more often; I want to pass on the benefits of the smile to all those I know and meet! When was the last time you passed on a smile? Choose joy, go forth and pass on a smile.