YOUR SMILE - A GFT TO SHARE
What is a smile? A smile is generally defined in dictioneries as 'a facial expression in which the corners of the mouth curve slightly upward, expressing amusement, approval, or joy.' Herein lies the secret of the warm smile. A smile is a nonverbal way of expressing one's feelings or communicating one's emotions to others. Of course, a smile might also express scorn or disdain, but that is another subject.
When someone gives you a beaming smile, how do you respond? Most likely you smile back. And you probably feel happier too. Yes, genuine smiles - whether from friends or total strangers - are infectious, and they evoke good feelings. A woman named Magdalena commented: "Georg, my late husband, had a warm smile. When our eyes met, I felt relaxed and secure."
A sincere smile indicates positive emotions, such as amusement, happiness, and pleasure. Indeed, "smiling... seems built into our nature," noted an article in Observer, an online journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Even newborns, the article said, are able to "interpret facial expression with great precision." The article also stated: "Not only do people deduce useful imformation from smiles, they also use this knowledge to direct thier own behaviour."
Researchers at Harvard University in the United States studied a group of elderly patients and thier responses to the facial expressions of health-care providers. When the caregivers' facial expressions "were percieved as more warm, caring, concerned, and empathetic," said the researchers, the patients felt more satisfied and thier physical and mental well-being improved. The opposite was the case when the caregivers' nonverbal communications distanced them from patients.
When you smile you may also be doing yourself a favor. The benefits, studies suggest, include increased confidence and happiness and reduced feelings of stress. Frowning, by comparison, may have the opposite effect.
SMILES "BOOSTED MY MORALE"
Magdalena mentioned earlier lived during World War II. She was sent with other family members to the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany for refusing to adopt Nazi ideology. "At times the guards stopped us from speaking with other prisoners," she recalled. "But they had no control over our facial expressions. Just seeing my mother and sister smile boosted my morale and strengthened my resolve to endure." The positive effect of a smile remains true to this day. A warm smile may help relieve built-up tensions. It may prove to be like a safety walve on a pressure cooker. When we feel tense or frustrated, a smile can help us to alleviate that tension and cope with our frustration.
Perhaps you feel that life's anxieties give you little cause for smiling. Remember, though, that feelings are usually preceded by thoughts. So, hard though it may be, why not try to dwell on positive, pleasant things whenever possible? Bible reading and prayer have helped many people to do just that. In fact words "happy" and "joy" and thier derivatives occur hundreds of times in the Bible! why not read a page or two each day? Who knows? You too may find yourself smiling more often.
The Good Effect on You and Others
Smiling can effect a person emotionally. It helps put one in a right frame of mind. It is good for physical health too. There is a saying, "Laughter is good medicine." In fact, medical authorities note that one's frame of mind has much to do with one's physical condition. Many studies indicate that prolonged stress, negative emotions, and the like weaken our immune system. On the other hand, smiling makes us feel good, and laughter even fortfies our immune system.
A smile has a great effect on others. Imagine a situation where you are recieving counsel or being admonished. What facial expression would you like to see on the counselor's face? A cold or stern expression may convey anger, irritation, rejection, or even hostility. On the other hand, would not a warm smile on the conselor's face perhaps make you feel more at ease and thus more receptive to the counsel? Certainly, a smile helps to reduce missunderstandings in tense situations.
Also, do not wait for others to smile at you. take the initiative; add a little happiness to someone else's day. yes, see your smile for what it really is - a devine gift that enriches you and the people who see it.
A Word of Caution
It is a sad fact that not every smile we see is genuine. Con men, swindlers, unscrupulous salespeople, and others may flash million-dollar smiles. They know that a smile can disarm people and put them off guard. People with dubious morals or unclean motives may also put on an enticing smile. Yet, thier smiles are empty; they are deceptive. So while not being overly suspicious of others, we need to appriciate that living in "the last days," which are hard to deal with, we need to prove ourselves cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves,' as Jesus himself recommended.
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