When I was younger, I was afraid to smile at passers-by in case they did not smile back. I felt if I smiled and they didn’t, they were rejecting me. I would feel rebuffed and stupid for extending myself out there with a smile. The fear of rejection was so deep, that even up until very recently, my most common reaction was to hesitate to smile at just anyone. I would check first, to see if their eyes and faces were receptive.
Yet, in truth, it is probably the most stone-cold, frowning faces that need the most to be blessed with a smile. And we, You and I, have that to give, anytime, anywhere, for free to anyone we choose.
A smile, to one that rarely gets smiled at, can be life-changing. I remember the first day of a high school art class. I sat at a table by myself. Soon, a girl sat down opposite me. Our eyes met, and she delivered the most beautiful, genuine, kind-hearted smile. In that instant, her smile gave me everything I could ever want or need from another human being. Her smile said: “I see you. I acknowledge that you exist. You are worth knowing.” I never forgot that moment. The picture is still emblazoned on my memory.
This stranger affirmed that my presence there, in that moment, mattered. A smile given unconditionally has the extraordinary power to breathe healing light into the heart of another. It melts ice. It transforms cocoon to butterfly. Exchanged between two people, its power is multiplied. The resulting energy ripples outward, vibrationally raising the mood surrounding.
Let’s give our smiles away freely. We have an infinite source of smiles. They cost nothing, and yet their value to the receiver can be phenomenal, perhaps life-saving! I say it’s well worth the risk!
Power of a Smile © March 12, 2011 | Annie Zalezsak
Clarity Tribe 
The gift of a smile is a precious one, as Annie so beautifully states it tells others how special they are. It affirms and validates an existence. I see you, you mean something. And the wonderful gift of the smile is that it is free, it costs nothing but gives so very much.
I totally agree with Annie. It is so lovely to receive a smile from someone you do not know, it makes you feel like you are worth something and for you to smile back also acknowledges them. I think we should all think about smiling at each other a lot more, rather than view everyone like they didn’t matter. Everyone in this world matters and the world would be a much better place if we were all to smile a lot more. It costs nothing and it makes your heart joyous.
Amen!
Just think about how we all want to make a baby smile. It is because we get so much joy from seeing their face light up with a smile.
So very true!
Happy smile , happy heart!
I’ve been practicing smiling during my walks. I notice that when I walk tall and confidently, with a smile in my heart and prepared on my lips, almost everyone naturally smiles on approach. Smiling has become so easy!