Hello again! We are now at Chapter 5! This chapter is also pretty straight forward. I am going to talk a little about it, but am going to present it more as a challenge and would love some feedback from anyone that tries it out!
SMILING...That is what this chapter is all about! First question: Have you ever been told that your prettier when you smile? I have! And not just from my mom lol. Naturally I am a smiley person. I can usually find joy in just about anything but not always! I can get very frustrated when things go wrong or dont turn out as I planned. Sometimes we dont notice that we are putting out the persona that something is very wrong, we are mad or we are frustrated. We are so focused on what is wrong we dont realize that hey! people are really looking at me! This happened to me one day at work. We were very busy and I wasnt feeling well. Just kinda that 'blah' mood. -Im sure you know what I am tlaking about :) - anyways!.. All of the sudden a co-worker looked at me and said "you know your prettier when you smile." And it really struck me that hey! Why dont I smile? Sure I was having a rough day but that shouldn't have stopped me from being my normal welcoming self. And honestly, who wants to wear a look that makes them look bad? Second question: Do you know anyone that seems to be continually smiling?? My brother is definitely one of those people! And I have other people tell me this as well. He is usually in a very good mood and ALWAYS has a smile to give away.
We dont always have to have a specific REASON to smile. I have had so many people ask me.. why do you smile all the time? And really.. there is not always a specific reason! Quite frankly I find smiling more enjoyable then having a blank face or a frown! As Karol says "I'm not suggesting that we wear a fake smile 100 percent of every day for the rest of our lives." Sometimes smiles are not always appropriate and this is okay. But if you are not in one of these situations where it is not a good time for a smile, then smile! When you have cooked dinner for your husband, family, kids and you are exhausted and really just want to put on that 'oh my goodness I'm tired so feel sorry for me look', SMILE! You just might be surprised at the reaction you get. When you wake up SMILE at everyone you see that morning.
Here is our challenge! I am going to do it as well and post what happens!
For the next week SMILE! At every opportunity you get. Think of a smile as something to give away! A gift! I know that I love the way I feel when I am able to give someone a special gift. Not only will giving away a smile make the other person joyful it will give you pleasure as well. And keep it up! Not just for this week. You might just find it becomes a habit that people continually comment on :)
Smiling tips:
1. Think of a smile as a gift you are giving away! You are giving someone something to brighten their day. This should make you happy!
2. Smile not only with your mouth but with your EYES! If you dont have joy in your eyes people will know your faking!!
3. Smile at strangers! Ex. The lady checking you out at the grocery store, the attendent selling tickets at the movie theatre. We have contact with more people than we think, and we can influence them more than we will ever know!
4. Remember, if you are acting out in a bad mood you will probably put others in a bad mood as well and it only makes things seem worse. So if you have no other reason at all to smile, do it so there wont be anyone else to put you in a bad mood as well!
5. Even if someone acts like they dont appreciate a smile from you dont let it stop you. Think of how you would make them feel it you had a frown on your face. Keep smiling, if only for yourself!
So good luck this week and I hope to see a few comments about what happens because you are smiling more!! :)
Remember... if nothing else we have the JOY of the LORD with us! And that is MORE than enough to give us a reason to smile :)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18- "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
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