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And, I have a life and death story to prove it. But first:
IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
According to sunwarrior.com expected benefits include: lower heart rate, reduced stress, better mood, increased productivity and encourages trust. There are many others.
According to longvity.com, smiling boosts your immune system, releases endorphins, natural pain killers and serotonin and makes you look younger. It also helps you to actually stay positive.
According to WebMD a study was conducted where people who smiled were judged more positive and competent than those who didn’t. There’s even been studies that showed brain activity when smiling aligns with those who are genuinely happy. With smiling, even “faking it till you make it” can work.
SMILING CAN IMPROVE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE
Leaders know that sincere smiling conveys confidence and trust (sincere smiling typically involves the eyes and the mouth). I’ve been told that my smile made all the difference in a situation on more occasions than I can count. And when it isn’t there, people let me know it’s missed. A smile can convey approval, acknowledgement, a safe environment to be creative and innovative and support. And it costs a lot less than a formal rewards and recognition program.
There are a handful of people who actually think that not smiling makes them a better leader even though there is no physical or psychological evidence that I am aware of that supports this. They claim they get results by not letting others know how they feel, or by seeming “tough.” We’ll I guess if you’re Jack Bauer maybe, but even he smiles sometimes. For the rest of us, it’s imperative to our success and the success of those around us.
YOU’LL MISS IT WHEN ITS GONE. SO WILL OTHERS
If you lose your smile you’ll find out firsthand why it’s important. On my first day in a new job I was brought into a room to introduce myself to the management team. As I began introductions, something didn’t feel right on my face. When I was able to get away for a break, I went in the restroom and discovered that half my face was sagging and I was unable to use the muscles. I assumed I had a stroke, but because I rely way too heavily on stats, I also assumed the chances of having another one right away were low so I could wait until the next day to schedule a doctor’s appointment – not a recommended practice, by the way. I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. My smile has been a communication tool my whole life. I knew that it was one of the first things a stranger sees. I did not want strangers thinking I was scowling at them all the time. If through no fault of my own, I could do nothing about that, I’d deal with it in other ways. However there was still a chance that the BP would go away. I found myself doing two things for about 30 days:
- Explaining to every stranger I met that I was not scowling at them.
- About 30 minutes a day of “smile” exercises to try to will the nerves and muscles to either remember how to smile or use new muscles to make a new smile.
I don’t know if that worked, but the result was that a got my smile back. I use it as often as possible as a sign of gratitude.
We know there are times when endless smiling is not wisdom, I shouldn’t be smiling in your face when you tell me you’ve suffered a tragedy. But NEVER smiling causes the same type of inappropriate results.
USE IT OR LOSE IT
Didn’t our parents say: “keep making that face it will get stuck that way?” We’ll there’s some truth to that as well. Muscles atrophy. Imagine wanting to smile and then finding you can’t? Have you ever seen someone with long jowls from never smiling? When they do finally smile, it looks so unnatural, like their face is going to break! So you really want to be that guy or gal? Me neither.
SMILING CAN SAVE A LIFE
Smiling literally saved my life at least once. I’m not kidding or exaggerating. If you want to know the circumstances contact me and I’ll reply. Don’t worry, I won’t put you on a list or try to sell you something other than the importance of smiling. But, the above reasons are more than enough to provide impetus for YOU to smile. Seize the day and get results that are as plain as the smile on your face!
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