5 Reasons to Smile on World Smile Day!

Have you ever heard the saying, “Smile and the whole world smiles with you”? Well, there is one day each year where this statement couldn’t be truer.

In 1963, Harvey Ball founded the most recognizable symbol of good will and good cheer on the face of the plant – the much loved “smiley face”. Over the years, Ball became concerned that the true meaning of this over-commercialized symbol became lost in the marketplace.  Therefore, in 1999 he declared the first Friday of October “World Smile Day” – a day devoted to smiles and kindness throughout the world.

Following are just a few reasons to participate in this joyous event:

• Improve your looks. – If you are looking for an inexpensive way to better your appearance, all you have to do is smile. Smiles have a way of lighting up your face and creating a twinkle in your eyes.
• Infect others. – Smiles are contagious. Even an infant can communicate with a toothless smile and cause a total stranger to melt with glee.
• Create a rapport. – Whether in a group or one-on-one, when you smile at others, without using words, you are saying, “I think you are a-okay.”
• Lift your spirits. – Feeling stressed or down? A smile can release endorphins and improve your state of mind. Furthermore, if you smile at someone else, you make them feel good, even without knowing how they are feeling inside.
• Create smile lines. – Mark Twain once said, “Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” If we must have lines on our face as we age, smile lines are much more attractive than frown lines and they reveal a great deal about our character.

So go ahead and smile and then enjoy the long-term benefits of improved health, many friendships, greater success…and watch the whole world smile with you.

Wishing you much happiness and success!

Patricia Rossi, America’s Etiquette and Protocol Coach, www.patriciarossi.com