Smile! It opens so many doors. It welcomes people. It inspires. It has the power to guide others to optimism. And it makes your face more attractive.
As I add years to my history I can't help but notice the people who forget the smiling, positive attitude that made them attractive to others. Life makes some people bitter. But that's not a natural progression, it's merely a choice. "Life's not fair." We've all heard that since we were kids. But there comes a time when we have to come to terms with the truthfulness of that statement. The reality of life is that we are going to face unplanned crisis', tragedy, hardship and loss. But that should be no surprise. Nobody is exempt from these. Some people just make handling them look easier.
Faith plays a huge role in being an optimist. I guess you have to be one if you're going to base your life on a day of reckoning with an endgame judgment from a loving creator. Every smiling optimist I know has a strong core of faith. I've never met an agnostic or atheist who didn't have an edge of bitterness and an egotistic air of being superior to those who pray. That's why people of faith are proven to live longer.
Being a negative person just because things didn't go the way you wanted, you didn't get the material things you prayed for, or you lost love in your life, is just an excuse to not work out the smile muscles in your face and feel sorry for yourself. Pity parties become more trendy with people as they age. But life isn't about how much you have or have achieved, it's about how you cope with the unexpected. And how we treat others along the way. I have met many happy people who faced more than their share of hardship. These same people continue to lift up others with their glowing smiles and welcoming hands of kindness. The old adage "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger" is not a guarantee, it's a choice.
There is also some truth to what we were told as children when we made a face at someone..."Be careful, your face might freeze that way", it works with smiles too. Once you plant one firmly on your face and get those muscles in shape, it will stay there. And it's a welcoming sign to your heart. Turn it on, open up and let a happy life in!
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