Go on , Smile !!

What a wonderful way to be received into a country by the first person you encounter. It made my day. It also left me with a warm feeling about Singapore. Not bad for the first 10 minutes in the country.
You can forgive almost anything if people smile. Why don’t they do it more often?
It’s not that easy to smile. Believe me, I know. I can laugh a lot because I have a good sense of humour. But smiling comes less easily to me.
Then there’s the cultural bit. Some races don’t naturally smile a lot. On the other hand, some do — the Thais and the Jamaicans are two that spring to mind.
So, for many people, a smile is difficult. Some think it is rather impertinent to smile at strangers. Certainly, it is impertinent to stare.
And there are smiles and smiles, of course. You want to avoid giving the impression that you are enjoying a joke at someone else’s expense.
Then there are occasions when it is not especially appropriate to smile. But actually very few when you come to think of it.
Most of the time, life is immeasurably improved with a smile. Business is conducted more easily, relationships are confirmed, feelings expressed — all with a smile.
What if smiling doesn’t come easily to you? Then try this simple remedy:
1. Use the mirror to watch yourself smile. Shut your eyes, face the mirror, put on what you think is a smile and open your eyes. Surprised? Don’t be. We all think we are smiling much more than we really are. That is why you have to practice.
Now, with your eyes open, GRIN at yourself. A great big, generous grin. More. Corners of mouth as far up to the ears as you can. And some more. Crinkle your eyes too.
Keep doing this until you have impressed on yourself how much you have to change your face to smile. Yes, that’s the sort of smile I’m asking you to project. Not some waspish, nervous little fleeting thing. A good, healthy smile.
2. Decide that for one day, you will smile at everyone you meet — at work, at home, socially. How do you do that? You look them in the eye, just briefly, and SMILE.
Go on! That big smile you did for me in the mirror. You don’t have to hold it for too long or you will look like the Cheshire Cat. But after a few minutes’ conversation, do it again. And, later, again.
All day.
At the end of the day, review your smiling. Did you do it as I suggested, or nearly as I suggested? What response did you get?
Some people smiled back! Not all. Some were positively startled. They hadn’t seen you smile like that before. Some were a little suspicious. “What’s he/she got to smile about?” That is their problem, not yours.
3. Yes, you guessed it. Go for it. Every day.
And watch your life improve. Every day.