Did you remember to smile today?
Do you have one of those days when you feel “off” for no reason?
Maybe its a girl thing and no , I am not talking about PMSing nor about “that time of the month” and not about ovulating either.
Keeping gender biology aside, I do have such days where I feel drained, groggy, frustrated and irritated ( and I usually have no idea why).
Yesterday was one such day!
Now , when that happens I go for a long walk/run to clear my head and to get some endorphins into my system.
But this time the story was different.
It was 6:30 in the evening. Despite walking and subsequently running on my favourite route for an hour , the feeling stuck with me . Even the music was not hitting the spot. The trees around me , that normally lift my spirit successfully by their simple presence had no impact on my dull mood.
I had almost given up and I thought about heading home when I noticed him.
Tall , wearing all black.
He was staring at the sky — could have been staring at the trees, standing right in the middle of the running tract.
I smiled at the simplicity of the scene unfolding in front of me.
This gentlemen was well over 80.
He was just standing there , oblivious and carefree , not giving a second look to all of us walking and running past him from both sides.
I walked past him , choosing not to disturb him.
But something was different.
SEEING THE GENTLEMAN HAD MADE ME FEEL LIGHTER.
And instinctively I turned around and saw him walking towards me this time.
I knew what I wanted to do, the reason I had turned around in the first place.
I stared at him intently as he was still looking at the trees around and when he finally looked at me,
I smiled my biggest smile at him and I said cheerfully:
“ Good evening sir”
He was shocked , he gave me half a smile , unsure of the madness of some one wishing a stranger ( It is not too common in my country ). And unsure if I was really wishing him or someone behind him. And what was with the smile I gave him?
But I had achieved what I wanted to achieve.
I felt good . Really really good.
I do not know what changed in that moment but smiling at him made me feel better — miraculously.
I remember a similar feeling when I had smiled and said hello to a group of children, when on a morning run. The children were walking to school , 4 or 5 of them, around 8–10 years of age. When I greeted them with a smile, they replied in a chorus “Good morning” with smiles so radiant , they would light up my room in the dark.
Their smiles stayed with me the whole day, warming me up with their innocence and sincerity.
My take from this?
Sometimes all you need to make your day better is to smile a little. Smile for some one else. A stranger , maybe! A grandpa, a young mother, a child. I promise you , you are guaranteed to make at least one person happy — and in my experience that person is you. Your smile is worth so much in a world where people are scared of being too close to each other .
Plus , there are added benefits .
- Smiling more helps you live longer
- Smiling elevates mood and relieves stress
- Smiling boosts the immune system
- It reduces pain
- A smile makes you look and feel beautiful.
Feel like you are having a shitty day?
Maybe go out and smile?
It is worth a try , if nothing else. It is believed after all — The love you radiate into the world finds its way back to you :)
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