“The expression one wears on one’s face is far more important than the clothes one wears on one’s back.” – Dale Carnegie Hello Lovely One! If you’re looking for… The next big competitive advantage for your life and career. A great way to differentiate yourself from the competition. A simple strategy for reducing stress and increasing joy. Something that adds massive value to every interaction. One thing you can do to attract people and opportunity. An immediate way to build trust, rapport and likability. Here it is… SMILE Your smile is proof that the best things in life are free, empowering and life-changing. Not only is your smile the best accessory you can wear…it’s the strongest emotional trigger you have for making a good first and lasting impression. Yet for too many, it’s the weakest part of their game. Let’s get something straight… Your smile is best looked at as a super power. Why? Because an infectious smile illuminates…it’s contagious, and you get to decide what that means and how you are going to use or abuse (through neglect of its execution) this super power. It does not matter if you’re a student, a doctor, a CEO, a mom, a dad, a kid, a janitor, a florist, a designer, or a fighter pilot; your smile is a super power which you can use to conquer the world with. A smile is a force multiplier in that it is the fastest way to demonstrate friendliness, warmth, trust and likeability. To be conscious of the effect of a scowl or a smile is to be socially aware…and increasing your awareness is the purpose of this message. “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” —Thich Nhat Hanh Be mindful that regardless of whether you manage a family or a business….you cannot simply instruct a person to smile and demonstrate enthusiasm any more than you can instruct them to give birth to a redheaded child. The person must first be inspired. Inspiration through proper modeling is what you give them. Enthusiasm in the form of a smile and joyful energy is what they give you and share with the world. People inhale inspiration and exhale enthusiasm. They cannot give you enthusiasm until you give them inspiration. Is your smile and enthusiasm contagious or is it contained? Are you modeling the behavior you want repeated and inspiring those around you? Remember…behavior never lies. There’s no better way to say hello than through a big, beautiful smile…it’s the exclamation mark at the beginning and end of every encounter…and it makes a significant deposit into everyone’s emotional bank account. A smile is the sign of a pro…a powerful demonstration of excellence, and in the words from the famous Broadway show Annie…“you’re never fully dressed without a smile.” I'm sure we've all had those days where nothing seems to go right and it seems the harder you try to stay positive the more life throws your way to dampen your mood. You may wake up after having talked yourself into gusto, energy and committing to Carpé-ing the Diem to its very last drop. You feed yourself joy and motivation, even dance the Macarena as you bath...until you encounter the first human in your day's path. That could be your partner's Good morning after snoring blissfully while you tossed and turned all night. It could be your own child's unreasonable demands for chocolate cereal instead of the usual banana flavour. It might be the first person to cut in front of you while stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Or the first phonecall of the day at your desk where a severe tongue lashing is handed to you by an irate client who feels let down by service levels that might not even be in your job description. Own them all. We get told daily about how a happy mindset governs your reactions to the noise around you. But no one gives tips on how to achieve that mindset in spite of our circumstances. Try to be angry, effusive, argumentative or reactionary with a smile on your face. It simply won't work. Our smiles are our pain shields and the entry gate of the positivity we seek. Smile, then say hello. Smile, then pick up the phone when it rings and say hello. Smile, then high five your colleague as you walk past them in the corridor. For absolutely no reason. Smiling is the one thing you never have to justify, that bears no mixed message and is understood in every language. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up AND smile up! That elusive button to a changed mindset is a SMILE. The best thing about it is that even when forced it radiates and attracts harmony and flow in our interactions. Smiling shuts you up from responses that may otherwise shut out your next big deal, it's a sure fire self and sanity preservation mechanism. It defines your reputation and the perceptions around dealing with you in your chosen field and in society. Smiling reflects confidence. It influences the tone and energy of our conversations whether written or verbal. No need to pick and choose who to smile at one dimensionally or base it on how they're dressed or how despondent they seem, it costs you absolutely nothing. I tried it today...smiled at a stranger and said a quick hello as I walked past them. I looked back and there she was standing stock still ; confused, but smiling back at me. I hope she passed it on and I hope she had as good a day as I did. Ok fine; I'll admit it was a rough day but I walked into it knowing someone felt I was worthy of their smile back, it changed my whole perspective and energised me. I challenge you to give it a go too. |
