4 Ways to Make Other People Smile

happy-clockGet out your grin! The first Friday in October is World Smile Day. Started by artist Harvey Ball, who is credited with creating the “Smiley Face” icon in 1963, it is a day to focus on smiling and doing things that make other people smile, too. Here are 4 ways to make other people smile.

Smile! A genuine, friendly smile is one of the most contagious things around. Good feelings are infectious, so share a little bit of yours. You may be surprised how much just smiling at and acknowledging others can do to uplift people around you, even total strangers.

Do an Act of Kindness The easiest way to make other people smile is to do something nice for them, or an act of kindness. Bring in doughnuts for the department at work or the parents waiting at the school bus stop, or leave a gnome on your neighbor’s doorstep. You also can do acts of kindness for people you do not know by doing things like putting quarters in a washer or dryer at the laundromat or in a parking meter. Write inspiring, unsigned notes and put them in public places for other people to find. Acts of kindness not only make others feel good, they will lift your spirits, too.

Pay It Forward One specific act of kindness is called “pay it forward”. This is where you pay not only for yourself at a store, restaurant, or tollbooth, but also pay for the person in line behind you. That person then can choose to pay for the person behind them. As the chain builds, so do the good feelings. One pay-it-forward chain at a coffee shop in Florida reached 750 customers in August.

Be Friendly and Polite In our ever faster-paced world, manners often fall by the wayside. Sometimes, a “please” or “thank you” is all it takes to improve someone else’s day. A little patience and politeness on your part may make the day for a friend or a stranger.

Celebrate World Smile Day today and spread some cheer! You’ll make yourself feel good by bringing joy to others — all you need to do is smile. 🙂

1 Response

  1. July 19, 2015

    […] 4 Ways to Make Other People Smile […]

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