What makes you smile?    

I have always felt that the endgame in life was to experience happiness, and one of the ways that we show this is to smile. Smiling shows an appreciation for whatever is unfolding in your life.

There are many different smiles we share with the world, and I am here telling you that there are so many things that make me smile. I am not sure that I can mention them all here. I am trying to encourage others to smile and feel a bit more positive about life.

Good Things Make Me Smile

This is a generic way to say that I encounter many good things daily in the course of my life. Some are natural and don’t involve other people at all.

 Like the way, a sunlit morning looks on the trees or reflects off the water and tells me that life is moving and happening all around.  One look at the sheer space that a big, blue sky has to offer, and a smile has to come to your face.

 Look at the configuration, and if there are clouds, you are looking at a configuration that has never existed before and never will again.  That is reality, and that makes me smile.

People provide a lot of good things to smile about as well. A friendly wave, comment, or “how ya doin’?” are enough reason to smile.

 In these transactions, I can tell you for sure that the more smiles you share, the more you will see on the faces of others. Good things, a warm and delicious meal, a perfect glass of iced tea, perfectly constructed mac and cheese, all will bring a smile to my face because they are all good things that warm your heart and make you feel good about being alive. 

Kindness Makes me Smile.

There is nothing more important in bringing a smile to my face than kindness. It can be the act of being kind to someone else, or it can be the gift of receiving someone else’s kindness.

 Try it sometime. Do something kind for someone, with no regard for yourself and what you will receive, and you will find a smile appear uncontrollably on your lips.  It is the same when you are the beneficiary of kindness, and smiles are the natural result.

Often when I notice how unhappy some people are, I wonder when the last time a transaction of kindness had entered into their life.

 It must have been some time if they are that unhappy about life.  Perhaps we need to make kindness a mandatory activity in our society.  Who could be against that?  Thinking about making a law about kindness makes me smile, apparently.

Memories Make Me Smile

I have memories that sometimes I like to recall, and they make me smile as I remember the people and events that have positively touched my life.

Some are funny; some are just goofy, some were serious, some involved love, some involve friends, and some involve family.  All the “good” and “bad” in all of these relationships and memories combine today to make me smile as I reach into the past with my mind.

One of the great gifts our imaginations give us is the ability to reach out and touch these things at the drop of a hat.  To be with that person you haven’t seen for over 25 years or go back to that place halfway across the country or even the world.

  There are happy memories of special times spent with special people recalled and bring a smile to your face. It could be as simple as the food from a Pizza Joint or a local diner.

The smile is for the experience. Even though it is long gone, the love for the moment and the other people in it nonetheless are worthy of a  smile.

“Good” Entertainment

This is a completely subjective thing because what I think is good, you may cringe at, but the fact remains that good entertainment makes me smile. This covers everything you do yourself, like reading books, enjoying the artwork of others, and all things in between.

 There are jokes, and there are quips. There is the sheer beauty of a mind that you can observe and appreciate.  Who hasn’t laughed out loud at a television program or the circumstances portrayed in the pages of a book?

If you have never laughed out loud or smiled uncontrollably due to the art around you, then you need to reevaluate your activities.  In the last week, I have smiled because of television shows, music, art, writing, and the Boston Red Sox, to name a few.  There seems always to be a reason to smile if you look for it.

Smile all the While

Whatever it is that makes you smile and share your happiness and good nature with others, you should really start to spend more time doing these things.

There is no shortage of faces in the world, seemingly angry and upset about everything.  Smile at them because there are few times in life that your smile won’t make someone else’s day a whole lot brighter.  So the only thing left to know is……………..

What makes you smile?

Look around you every day and see there are always things to smile about. Simple things from freedom of movement, choice of activity, time spent with special people, a perfect sky, a new shirt, an old shirt, love, something that matters, fun for the sake of it, a new adventure, a favorite activity, seeing someone be successful, experiencing something for the first time, appreciating it may be the last time, a great meal,  any of the things we shouldn’t take for granted. Whatever it is in your soul that makes you smile today, do it and share your smile with the world.