Unearth a Smile

Smiling is defined as turning up the corners of your mouth (and sometimes exposing your teeth) to show things like pleasure, kindness and happiness.

Quick Story

I lived most of my life in Brooklyn, NY. Walking around with a serious look or even an angry look is how I survived. I have to walk from the train station to my building - serious look. I have to walk past a group of guys - angry look. I have to shop in the corner store where they watch me to make sure I'm not stealing - serious or indifferent look. I couldn't imagine walking down my Brooklyn streets or being in stores and smiling at strangers. I smiled with friends, and only with friends. We connected because we were peers. We thought the same things were funny. We were silly kids together. Plus, it was the 80's and everyone I know misses the 80s! But in 2001, I got my own 5th grade classroom. And I barely smiled. I thought nothing of it at the time. I didn't have a habit of smiling with anyone other than my peers. I did my job. I conducted creative lessons. I took the students on trips. I had small meetings to assess student needs. In fact, my students did extremely well on the state exams. But in all of this, I was barely smiling. At the time, I thought I was killing it. So, I gave my students a survey at the end of the year. And you know what they said? They wished they connected with me more. They wanted a peek into me as a person. They understood that I was serious; some even called me militant. But the saying goes: 'hindsight is 20/20'. And I can see today that I was scared and that's why I wasn't smiling or allowing myself to connect. It was my first set of students where I was responsible for all of their subjects. I didn't know what to expect or how to be. So, I employed my default tactic for when I'm walking from the train station to my building - serious face. As time went on, I learned to smile and be playful with my students. Smiling brings a kind of ease and trust between a teacher and student. The students needed it and so did I. Students can be quite rambunctious. So, I took classes to learn how to manage a classroom and still keep smiling and connecting. That leveled up my 'teacher skills.' Today, I do smile while walking down the street and at strangers. (I'm in a new city and I still don't smile at men or groups of men - unless they're elderly. I don't think my husband would approve! LOL) I smile with my peers, my spouse, my children, my children's friends, little cousins, myself in the mirror and more. I guess you could say I'm not as scared as I was back them. :)

What Science Knows so far...

When you smile, your brain releases special chemicals that help you feel good and fight stress. These include dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. Smiling can make you feel happier, relax your body, and even lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

Endorphins act like natural painkillers, without any bad side effects. Serotonin helps boost your mood, kind of like some medicines for depression—but smiling is free and you don’t need a doctor’s prescription!

There’s Magic in Your Smile | Psychology Today

Sweet Spring

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Activity I've done before...

Look in the bathroom mirror. Smile at yourself. Hold it for 10 to 15 seconds. While you smile at yourself, mentally congratulate yourself (for anything you can think of). How does that feel? Now do a little more research to find what smiling does within your body.

The Million Dollar Alphabet for Life

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Quotes and Interpretations

A smile can be more than a greeting. A smile can express love. A smile can lighten a heavy heart. A smile can be given freely.

Your loved ones should get your smiles freely.

Life can be made wonderful with the simple act of smiling.

A smile for yourself in the mirror can make a difference in your day.

Sport your smile like your sport your favorite jacket.

If you see a genuine smile, it usually means there is a kind soul within.

Good memories bring lovely smiles. Remember the good times.

There is enough power in a smile to lift a heart and change a life trajectory.

There are days when happiness fuels our smile, and days when our smile fuels our happiness.