Value of a Smile

Smiling costs nothing; but it’s value is enormous. Scientifically, it releases dopamine, endorphins and serotonin. It can lower heart rate and blood pressure.

Smiling makes us feel better emotionally. It elevates mood, uplifts our perspective, and invites the return of a smile from another. A smile can be a gateway to connection with anyone who sees our smile.

When you smile at someone, you acknowledge and validate their presence. This is a powerful feeling for participants in a smile-exchange. A shared smile expresses kindness, empathy, gratitude, and love.

It feels good to smile and there is evidence to support it offers benefits to health and longevity. Even if someone doesn’t notice you’re smiling at them, on some level, they’re receiving that smile-blessing.

Smile often. It’s good for the world!

Value of a Smile © November 11, 2015 | Annie Zalezsak

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Lazy Days

The last week or so has been full of activity. My mind has been whirring away, full of ideas about the next thing on the path of my life. I’ve been making contacts, revising websites, developing pages, sending out CVs; basically staying up all night doing anything and everything I can think of to generate some action for my future.

Many of us feel guilty taking time out. Like the world will stop spinning if we don’t keep going at some (albeit fruitless) activity. So we drive ourselves onward, even if it’s wasted energy.

Now, I do believe everyone should have at least one Lazy Day per week. A lazy day is when you don’t do anything much in particular. You can catch up on chatting with friends, or read a good book. You can watch TV or nap all day. It’s doing whatever you want and feel like doing, but it’s centred around rest, or moving at a slow, un-hurried pace.

Photo credit: Janpietruszka, Dreamstime.com

It’s just… well… making the time for it!

Today, my world has conspired to enforce upon me, a Lazy Day. It is dreary and raining. Steady and heavy. The clouds are ominous. You know if you step out even for a minute, you’ll be soaked to the skin. The jammies are ever so comfortable and feel ‘right’ to remain on till afternoon, at which time you’ll contemplate whether it’s worth bothering, or more appropriate to remain puttering in your dressing gown till bedtime.

Lazy days are the epitome of luxury. So, abandon the chaos. Enter the stillness. Allow laziness to recharge your batteries. It heals the body. It soothes the mind. It brings peace to your Self, and that brings out your Beauty.

You don’t need an excuse, but Sunday rain is a good one. Indulge!

Lazy Days © June 12, 2011 | Annie Zalezsak

Power of a Smile

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

Welcome to Clarity Tribe!

This is a brand new blog that aims to bring you moments of clarity from a special ‘tribe’ of friends. This tribe is on a conscious spiritual journey. We seek to learn, understand and grow. We share insights and learn through each other’s experiences. We hope to inspire and unite people everywhere to make this world a better place: a healed world, where peace and love is the underlying motivation to all the things we do, and the basis of who we are.