A Smiling Guy (Photo credit: Grace Church)

Week #8 – Are you a “Smiling Guy” (or Gal)?

Look in the mirror.  Is that the face you want us to remember you by?

In a note to my parents, one of Rob’s high school teachers remembered Rob as a “smiling guy with a friendly hello.”  The note went on to comment that this is a characteristic shared by our entire family.  That might be true…just this week a friend from town complimented me on my ability to smile regardless of the weather or circumstances.  But while I certainly can’t speculate about what went on behind Rob’s smile…I have a confession to make: I’m not always smiling on the inside!

Smiling is a habit…nearly a reflex.  It’s something you practice before it becomes automatic, kind of like a killer karate move.  You don’t wait to learn those moves in a crucial situation…you practice them over and over again beforehand.  And the more I thought about it…the more I realized that smiling is complicated business: If we smile regardless of the circumstances, then we’re not being true to our grumpiest selves.  But if we are true to our grumpiest selves, then we’re sure never to smile!  So which comes first…the smile, or the happiness?

I took a long walk on the beach to clear my head and wondered out loud, “Rob…what is it that you want me to know about smiling?”

A scene from the movie Chaplin immediately came to mind.  Charlie’s just been given heartbreaking news about a long lost love.  He buckles under the sadness.  Meanwhile, his fans eagerly wait to greet him.  Seeing the crowd and Charlie’s state, his friend asks him, “What are we gonna do, Charlie?”  Chaplin pulls himself together and bravely responds: “Smile.”  With that, they head out into a sea of admirers.  Charlie’s fans expect him to make them smile…and that, in return, is what makes Charlie smile.

Your assignment for this weekend: tackle a problem with a smile!  You can start small by practicing on a the few little snags that come your way…or you can go big and tackle that one critical moment when you are about to blow your top and lose your cool!  You may have little eyes watching your every move…or loved ones depending on you to set the tone in a crucial situation.  What is your response to pressure telling them?  What are you telling yourself?  Take a deep breath…and SMILE!

Make smiling a choice whether you are happy or not  — and you may just find that whether you are happy or not, you are smiling anyway!  😉

Spread Happyness — SMILE this weekend!  And share your experience in the comments!

11/7/14 by Grace Church
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