If smiling makes me feel good, why don’t I smile more?
- Posted on 11th March 2011
- in Actor's Life, Inspirational, Screenwriter's Life
- by jeffgoldstein
I bet there is not one person out there who can’t agree with me that smiling makes you feel good. So why don’t we do it more?
from Dictionary.com: smile, verb, To assume a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement, characterized by an up turning of the corners of the mouth.
When I smile I feel good, and how often in life do we search for and pay ( sometimes large amounts) for things that make up feel good. I started putting pictures of friends, family, loved ones “not so randomly” throughout my apartment, so wherever my gaze rested I saw the picture and smiled. I sat for 6 hours one Saturday going through 2000 songs on my iPod and removed the songs that did not make me smile. Now I have 1400 reasons for smiling ever time I listen to my iPod.
I was on the subway to work yesterday, typical scenario: morning rush hour, crowded New York City train, iPod playing, earplugs in, oblivious to my surroundings, enjoying my music… and smiling. A 30’s something man tapped me on the arm. “Do we know each other”, he asked. He didn’t look familiar so I said “I don’t think so.” He chuckled, then said “I’ve been watching you and you’ve been smiling at me.” I started to laugh. “No.. It’s not you, It’s my music… every time a new song comes on, I smile.” And for the next moment I thought I gave this guy the most secret tip of the day. “Wow!” he said, “That is awesome! Thanks.” He turned and with his music device in hand, it looked like he was deleting music. This stranger was doing the same thing I did for 6 hours one Saturday afternoon, and later that day there were 2 people in New York City who were smiling when they listened to their music.
You know, it’s little things like this that change your life. Because after a while it’s this, then something else, then another thing… and before you know it… your life changed. So… to do something that is absolutely free, with no cost involved… what are the reasons to do it?
Some people say smiling actually makes us attractive. The muscles we use to smile actually lift up the face, making a person appear younger. Sure, a smile attracts others (as proven in my music story above). How many people… be honest now, really honest… when looking in the mirror… smile at themselves? It also changes the way we feel, it picks us up. Smiling keeps us positive. It is definitely contagious, you smile & the whole world smiles with you. Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Smiling is a natural drug.
I went around yesterday and approached people at work and my personal life, who make me smile. I told them that. “You make me smile”, I said. I’m sure it made them feel good. It definitely made me feel good, and I had a great day because of it.
Smiling does not cost one penny! Do it more often, you’ll feel better, and so will then next person.
Smiling from New York City,
-Jeff
Tags: Apple iPod, Digital Portable Players, Facial expression, iPod, Smile, subway
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