The smile is a powerful weapon; it can bring people out of depression, add personality to your voice, and influence other behaviors.  Everyone has the ability to smile.

Studies have shown that smiling has an internal effect on ourselves. If you are feeling sluggish, look in a mirror and force a smile on your face.  Hold the smile for 10-15 seconds, and you will feel silly doing this.  That is when you know the smile power has kicked into action.  At that moment, stress will be relieved, and your perception of reality will have been altered positively.  Thus forcing a smile on your face has improved your attitude, and this positive effect will influence others that meet you throughout the day.

The stress of a day builds and can be heard clearly in a person’s voice.  Reduce stress when dealing with customers on the phone by smiling as you answer the phone, even if you have to force it. The smile lifts facials muscles, and your voice increases slightly in pitch, fooling the caller’s ears and giving the impression that you are in a happy mood.  If you can maintain a smile for the first minute of the conversation, your own mood will improve, and this will reduce stress.  In the end, you too will feel better.

When I walk through a store, I find it interesting that I see several people who look down or turn away, avoiding eye contact.  For those who do not;, I give them a quick smile.  It is at that instant a connection occurs, and mutual acknowledgment creates a bond. Acknowledgment is a powerful tool.

Acknowledgment and smiles relate to my childhood when our parents smile at us, and we would smile back.  You see this all the time with parents smiling at their children, and that child grins back from ear-to-ear, making all those around them smile too.

The key to smiling is to show teeth.  Look at any celebrity, and they show teeth. When smiling, place your upper teeth on top of your bottom lip and smile.  Smiling comes naturally, but showing teeth, I found, took some practice.  Yes, I stood in front of a mirror and practiced smiling, but I admit that I was in a good mood when I was done.

Smile power!  Something straightforward that can change your image and the attitudes of those around you.