What a Smile Can Do…

​I heard someone say (and maybe you have too) “a smile is a frown turned upside down”. An interesting perspective…turning a frown upside down!

​How many of you like to see a smile? I know I do. A genuine smile. A smile that lights up someone’s face. But even a simple faint smile can change the atmosphere in a room.

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Turning the negative upside down…turning it around into something that is positive, turning it into something that gives energy versus draining energy. Making this switch is not easy. When we have a frown, we often are not feeling so happy. Maybe we are worried. Maybe we are mad. Maybe we are sad. Maybe we are concentrating. Maybe we feel pressure and stress. Frowns are often connected with the negative feelings of life, and those negative feelings can often have a great force behind them spiraling us further into the deep dark hole of despair, depression, disgust. But…that frown can be turned upside down into a SMILE!

​It does take effort! It takes a decision! It takes a belief that you CAN!

Let’s talk about some practical steps that can help turn a frown upside down and restore your SMILE!

• Stop. Think. Ask… “Am I frowning right now?” Act… “Start smiling”. How does that make you feel? Just this simple act.
• Remember. Remember the good things in your life. Maybe things are not too happy right now. Remember something that brought joy to you. Let your mind wander into that memory and stay there for a while. Soak in the joy of that memory.​

• Purpose to get on the positive side. Listen to something funny. Find something good. I remember a story of an older man who disciplined himself to only speak uplifting words about people. He was at a funeral of another man who was disliked by many people because of his sour demeanor. This older man went to the casket and looked in, his statement was, “He sure had nice teeth.” There wasn’t much good to find in the life of the man who died, but the older man found something good…he found something uplifting.
• Change your focus. Count your blessings. When things are going wrong, when tough things are piling on top of you, it is easy to be overcome with all that is wrong. It is easy to be overcome with worries or fears. This is a good time to get a piece of paper out and start writing down all the things that are “right” or the blessings in your life.
• Sing a song. Dance a jig. Move. Wear happy colors. Talk to a friend. These activities can spark energy. Energy sparks positive emotions in us. Learn to work with what sparks you. Find those activities that release that flow of energy for you. Connect in with the joy of life.

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​SMILE…Turn that Frown UPSIDE Down or better…RIGHT-SIDE UP!