Don’t
Ever Under Estimate The Tremendous Impact Of
A Sincere Smile
The other morning I stopped for a hot chocolate at the drive
through of Tim Horton’s. It was early, and the line-up was unusually
long. By the time I got to the window for my single cup of hot chocolate I
was more than a little annoyed at the waiting time. The glass door lifted,
and there to greet my frowning face was a young lady with a sincerely
friendly smile and a cheery, "Good morning, sir. Here is your hot
chocolate. That will be $1.24 please."
I couldn’t help myself. Despite how I felt, my face
broke into a smile with an equally friendly, "Thank you." I took
my hot chocolate and left.
As I steered my car onto the highway to continue my
trip, I realized just how much I owed to that young lady. Her smile
completely turned my mood around. Instead of storming out of the parking
lot in a horrible frame of mind, I took my time and carefully took my
place on the road. "Thank you" just didn’t seem to express my
gratitude to that person who had given me much more than just a cup of hot
chocolate.
For the next hour of my ride home I spent a lot of time
thinking about how rarely we give much thought to how often we smile. Even
those of us who are fairly positive may walk around with a frown on our
face more often than we'd like to think.
How about you -- do you frequently smile? You'll notice that when you
smile, you feel better physiologically. Go ahead and smile right now. I'll
bet you got a warm feeling inside your body and your spirits were lifted,
just by smiling. Isn't it incredible that you can get that much of an
impact from a smile?
For the next few days, I want you to pay attention to your facial
expression. Whenever you think about it, just practice smiling! If you're
on line in a store, smile. When you pass co-workers in the hall, smile.
When you're sitting by yourself, or talking on the phone, smile! It will
lift your mood and get you focused in a positive direction. And, it will
cost you nothing.
There are a lot more benefits that come from smiling. You'll find that you
interact better with other people. First of all, when you smile, other
people tend to smile right back. They mirror your facial expression. In
addition, people will look forward to speaking with you, and they'll be
more inclined to assist you when you have a smile on your face.
Of course, you must be sincere when you smile. You don't have to show off
every one of your teeth or look goofy. Just a natural smile.
If you develop the habit of smiling often, you're going to feel a lot
better, be more optimistic and gain the cooperation of others. It's well
worth the effort.
As a final note, I want to encourage all employees who deal with the
public to smile at everyone. I know it is difficult when you have been on
your feet all day, but you just never know when your smile might mean the
world of difference to the person who receives your gift.
