Many of my clients share with me that they want to feel happier and smile more. In this blog I will share with you the art of a smile and how as I move about in my networking circles I am often fondly referred to as “Happy Jack” the lady that is always smiling. I believe that I am responsible for my smile and that empowers me to wear it. Overtime I have learnt that society teaches us that we have to give things reason or a label and whilst others may agree with this I choose not to. Owning and wearing my smile is my way of rebelling this B.S. rule.
Society teaches us that business is a place of seriousness, so consequently if you smile too much, become emotional or act silly you may not be taken seriously.
Thankfully this is beginning to be questioned by many of our modern day leaders. As a leader if you can hit the target on the head in times of difficulty and still make people smile. people will love you for it and they will follow you. When there is a struggle or a stress the key for the leader is how fast you can bring back the smile back to the faces of your team. Dr. Rich Castellano - “The time we need to smile the most, is the time when we want to smile the least.”
Business talks a lot about creating an experience for clients. Our smile is a universal icebreaker. It speaks when words cannot be heard or understood. It is timely to remember that our non verbal communication makes up the majority of our overall communication. If smiling is that powerful why do we not all smile more often? The objectors or negative nellies are often fearful of smiling too much. They are concerned that they may not be taken seriously or they may look foolish. Do you need to smile all the time? My response to this is. I encourage you to make some time to answer the following questions - How much do I want to be liked by others? How successful do I want to be? How happy do I want to be? When you answer these questions you will know how often you want to smile. I feel that when I smile I am supporting someone else to smile and see the good in the moment. When I go to the supermarket or put fuel in the car and I go to the checkout. I want the attendant to know how much I appreciate them being there to assist me.
My smile followed by a short enquiry as to how their day is going is all it takes. I am not saying that I smile all the time. I have times where I do not want to smile. When this occurs it is important for me to be able to share a snippet of the issue that is affecting my smile with others around me, this lets them know I am human too. When I am smiling I am conscious of being authentic with my smile, it radiates from deep within me. I believe that the power of my smile is important to the quality of my life experience. If you too are a believer and want to strengthen your smile I have the following challenge for you. Identify the situations that take your smile away. Write them down, get clarity around them. Now invite yourself to smile the next time these situations occur. Hear yourself expressing appreciation and gratitude for another person. If you want to learn more about how to brighten and embrace your smile please head over to the contact page and secure your complimentary coffee chat today.
You have “The Power To Make Change” Your Smile......is......Your Responsibility. Reference - Dr Rich Castellano author of Wall Street Journal best seller “The Smile Prescription” "
