Smile Like a Kid

When I was in middle school, I entered a poster contest with a friendship theme, and I made this super-cheesy poster with a huge grin on it, and it read: Making friends is just a smile away. I'm not at all still bitter that my clever idea didn't win.  Nope, not one bit.

In all seriousness, though, it really can be that simple.  A smile can be so powerful, and it is so natural.  I am lucky enough to spend a large amount of my time around a lot of kids, and they smile all the time!  I wonder if anyone has ever done a study on how often children smile versus adults.  Some people would argue that kids laugh and smile and goof around more often because they don't have the pressure of life that adults have, but I would challenge that argument.  Spend a day in any elementary classroom, witness the rigor these kids experience academically, and then tell me they don't feel pressure.  In my opinion, children are still in touch with the natural, positive outlook on the world that comes with innocence, so they are just better able to pull out that smile more readily.  Same feeling of pressure, less jaded.

What if I told you there was a way to reclaim some of that innocence and natural happiness that I see in the hallways at school?  Would you try it out?  I have been listening to Dave MacArthur's podcasts lately, and the main topic of the early episodes is positivity, and how the essence of thought creates our reality.  In a nutshell, if you think positive, positive things will happen for you.  It is fascinating stuff, and there is actually some science behind why it works, which my friend Chad explains very well in his latest blog post.  I'm going leave the science stuff to Chad and share a little about how I've been using this information.

• I write my goals down at least twice a day, though I've been aiming for more often.  It doesn't take much time, and it absolutely keeps my mind focused on the positive things I'm working towards.
• I visualize what it looks like when I reach those goals, and I include a lot of detail.  I have even written it down a few times, adding more detail each time.  Sometimes it's a scene in which I can see all of my goals realized at the same time, sometimes I focus on just one goal.
• I disengage from the negative whenever possible.  It can be challenging to be the person to inject a positive light into a negative conversation, but it is worth a shot, and if you can't turn the tone around, remove yourself.  I get that this can't apply to every situation, but if you can make the choice, do it, because even a few times can make a difference.  

I honestly feel my heart swell with joy when I pass a first grader in the hallway at school and he or she flashes a genuine, ear-to-ear grin.  It's like pure gold, and that one smile can carry me the rest of the day.  We, as adults, have that same power with our own energy and smiles, it's just up to us to dig it up and share it with the world.  

Nothing would make me smile more than for you to try out some of these ideas, be it goal writing or visualizing, or going out of your way to keep your mind positive.  Go for it, and comment here with what you've done and how it made you feel.  I would love to hear your positivity in action!