THE MAGIC OF A SMILE

Every time you smile at someone,

it is an action of love,

 a gift to that person,

a beautiful thing – Mother Teresa.

During my first year at the university, life was interesting. It still is but then, the anxiety of trying to figure out how things work gave me a thrill mixed with confusion. In the course of the second semester, there was this beauty contest. I felt a kind of urge to participate but, I dismissed the thought. However, my stubborn pack of friends did not seem to stop pestering me to go sign in. So, in the end, I gave in. It was a great experience I must say. I did the cat walk, plenty of photos, lots of fans….didn't win. Nevertheless, I learnt an important value from the whole experience. SMILING.

The oxford dictionary defines a smile as a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth. Some smiles may also include contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes. There has been, so far, no dispute to the fact that a smile has the power to brighten up anyone's visage. We shall also see other benefits that come with it. A smile can as well be classified as a nonverbal cue. It is an expression of happiness, sociability, pleasure or amusement. We also have counterfeit smiles which are pretentious and maybe used to hide real emotions. 

Smiles are also confirmed to have health and social benefits. The following are a few of the benefits a smile can bring you.

A smile will definitely makes you more attractive.  People tend to be drawn to those who smile. They seem friendly and approachable. They create a jovial atmosphere which many people prefer.

A smile is also contagious. When someone smiles in a room, they tend to brighten it up and everyone present may tend to feel the effect. A smiling person brings happiness with them.

Smiling also boosts your immune system. The immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling more.

It is also said to reduce blood pressure. Those with blood pressure monitors at their disposal can try out this experiment. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take a reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

A smile lifts the face and makes you look younger. The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making someone appear younger. Don't go for a face lift. Just try smiling your way through the day. You will surely look younger and feel better. 

Smiling makes you seem successful. People with smiling tendencies always seem more confident and in control of themselves. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.

Smiling helps you stay positive. It is almost impossible to engage in any negative thoughts when smiling. (Try it) When we smile, our brain sends a message to the rest of us that “Life is good”. We may have many problems in life but we wouldn't solve them by frowning or worrying either. The Bible, in Matthew 6:27 asks, ‘Who of you by worrying adds a single hour to his life?’. Think about that simple question critically and if you can come up with a ‘yes’, please come out and tell us how. 

I was once in a public transport vehicle at one time and this cute baby looks at me interestingly and smiles. I automatically smiled back. All of a sudden, all the nagging thoughts meddling in my head disappeared and were replaced by a happy mood. It worked like magic. So how about we start smiling more often. It gives you a better face anyway.