How Smiling Enhances Happiness

A smile is a powerful thing.

Have you ever noticed that when you smile at someone, they almost always smile back at you even if you are complete strangers. Even if they were not smiling before, once you looked into their eyes and smiled, they smiled back.

A smile is a universal way of connecting with one another.

Years ago, I lived in New York City, and the hustle and bustle of city life were at times lonely and alienating. There were times when that bothered me, so I began a little game with myself that was both an experiment in the nature of energy and the power of a smile.

Now, this was just a young woman learning about life, so this was in no way a scientific experiment. Luckily science has since proven some of the things that I discovered in this game.

The Smile Game

When walking down the City sidewalks I noticed that many people did not smile as they hurried by me. The challenge in my little game was to see if I could get them to smile.

As they walked by I would make eye contact, something I noticed people in the City seemed to avoid, and smile.

A smile can be an affirmation of your joy and our unity.
      – Genevieve Gerard

Amazingly I noticed that most of them would smile back. At times, I even saw confusion in their eyes as they did so, but they would almost always return my smile. It was a spontaneous response.

I like to think even that brief sense of connection served in a small way to lighten their life and dispel the sense of separation and isolation that can trap people in their loneliness.

Smile Research Studies

Years later I heard about a research study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that discovered that a smile biochemically released endorphins into the body. In fact, the endorphins released were the same endorphins that are released when people are falling in love.

The study went on to say that the mere act of smiling worked to release those endorphins. It did not matter if the smile had a reason or not. The smile worked as a part of the amazing autonomic nervous system’s stimulus-response mechanism. The smile produced the reason to smile. The smile helped to make the person happy.

Now I understand, based on the research, that my little smile game on the City sidewalks long ago made me feel happier because it released endorphins and dispelled my sense of loneliness and isolation that could sometimes darken my emotions.

Since then, UCLA social scientists have done a great deal more research about this amazing relationship of body language and the autonomic nervous system. They have found that smiling or assuming a posture associated with success, happiness or victory, are the results in the feelings associated with the body language that is being created all around you.

Below, in the related links, I will give you a TED talk I recently heard that spoke of the many ways that you can use this information to have a positive impact on your life. As I often write, “energy follows thought,” but I find it amazing that action also has a dynamic influence on what you experience.

Back when I was a child, there was a song about whistling a happy tune that makes this point. I also think that the immense popularity of the emoticons on smartphones demonstrates this point too.

There is an old folk wisdom saying, “smile and the world smiles with you” that also makes this point.

I invite and encourage you to play with this concept and to create your own experiment. As you walk through your daily life, whenever you see someone, a friend or a stranger, look into their eyes and smile. As you do this, observe. Did they smile back at you? How did that make you feel? Did you notice a change in how you felt just by smiling? Did you observe a little jolt of joy in your heart when they returned your smile?

At the end of this post, there is a place you can comment on your experiment. Also, on my website I have a section called transformation stories where you can share your experience in more detail. I invite you to post there what happened in your life with this test.

You can raise it all up a notch by imagining love flowing from you to them with your smile. A smile is such a simple thing to give and can have such a powerful impact. Or as you make eye contact you can simply greet them with a silent Namaste.

Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.
      – Yogananda

Real Life Example

I remember a little incident that happened after 9-11.

I was in a bank and saw a woman with a headscarf in line. I looked at her and smiled at her thinking nothing of it. As I was leaving the bank she rushed up to me and thanked me profusely. She said that since 9-11 she had felt such anger from people, and that everyone averted their eyes from her.

My simple smile reassured her and gave her hope. We ended up sharing a brief moment of healing at a terrible time in history, all because of that simple smile. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know her and never saw her again. At that moment, there was a connection.

I invite you to use your smile as an instrument for good in the world and enter into joyful playfulness that will enhance your happiness.

Namaste,

Genevieve

The Blessing of Love on All That You Do!

 

You Might Also Like

• The Hidden Power of Smiling: TED Talk on Smilling
• The Happiness Habit
• Discover How to Choose Happiness
• Bliss is Perfect Happiness: Article with video meditation
• Bringing Joy into Your Life

• Recommended Meditation

  

   

  Expressing Your Divine Spark

 

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