Remember that song Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra used to croon?
Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it’s breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll see the sun come shining through for you
The smile song was originally written for the 1936 Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times. The instrumental music was actually composed by Chaplin; the lyrics were written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons. It’s been recorded over the years by many artists, including (surprisingly) Michael Jackson in 1995. It was reported to be his favorite song.
There is something to be said about smiling! First of all, it takes little effort. Yet, it can be very powerful. It can brighten the day of a passerby or your neighbor… or even you! One could say it’s a universal symbol of joy and happiness… and it costs absolutely nothing. Smiling helps lift your spirits, as well as those around us.
A smile may be more powerful than you realize. It’s also proven to have physiological benefits. Research around the emotional effects of smiling tells us that the simple, physical act of smiling is an immediate cause of happy feelings. It can change your mood, and your actions. Believe it or not, it even improves your health. According to recent studies at the University of Kansas, the act of smiling improves your state of mind and how your body feels. Frequent smiling has been linked to improved health, rising endorphins (good feeling hormones), and lowered blood pressure. Another study at Penn State University found that smiling also makes us look more attractive to others.
According to researchers Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler in their book Connected, we are hardwired to outwardly mimic others. Their Facial Feedback Theory states that people imitate others’ facial expressions and come to feel as they do (the path of signals is from the muscles of the face to the brain). Our friends and their friends and their friends affect our happiness. (“Three Degrees of Influence” Rule). Thus, happy and unhappy people cluster among themselves. And, unhappy people are on the periphery of the network.
Some stats:
• A person is 15% more likely to be happy if directly connected to a happy person (1 degree)
• At 2 degrees 10% are more likely to be happy
• At 3 degrees 6% are more likely to be happy
• Each unhappy friend deceases the likelihood of happiness 7%
Pretty heavy stuff, right?
Simply put, everyone knows that yawns and smiles are contagious… literally. So, keep your chin up and put a smile on your face – it’s that easy. Just the mere physical act of forming a smile on your face is the shortcut to making others feel happier. As you smile your most heart-warming smile, you’ll spread joy and sunshine to those around you. I promise!
