By Alan Fairweather
What if I told you that smiling and being agreeable influences the length of your life in a positive way. On the other hand, being grumpy increases the likelihood of a violent death, heart disease, cancer etc. This is according to a recent report in American Psychologist. Dale Carnegie also says in his book - How to Win Friends and Influence People - "People who smile tend to manage, teach and sell more effectively, they also raise happier children."
Another survey found that 75 per cent of respondents thought that an unattractive smile would be bad for their career. While a whopping 92 per cent said an attractive smile was a necessary social asset.
These sorts of reports have been around for years but many of the people that I come into contact with don't seem to have received the message. I've attended business networking meetings where many non smiley people look downright scary. And they wonder why they don't gain any benefit from their networking! Many of the people at my local health club look downright unhappy; you'd think they were there as some form of penance rather than as part of their fun and leisure time.
Of course many people don't smile because they're nervous; they lack confidence or have low self-esteem. Some people on the other hand actually believe they're smiling when the face they present to the world could actually turn milk sour.
Now I'm not suggesting that we all go around with big smiles on our face grinning inanely at people we hardly know. If you did that, then the men in white coats would soon be dragging you off to a place of detention. However, I am suggesting that we think about the face we present to other people. By sporting a warm smile at the appropriate time we can only smooth the path for the people we're dealing with. We also boost our own confidence and it allows us to relax and make the most of a situation.
Smiling also stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's feel-good chemicals, which has an ongoing positive effect. It's a two way neurological process; when you smile you literally become happier and when you're happier, you smile more. If someone gives you an unsolicited smile, you smile back and in this way we directly affect each other's moods. Switching on a smile will only bring benefits -you'll be happier and everyone else will be happier - so keep smiling!
Alan Fairweather - The Motivation Doctor - is a professional speaker, author and business development expert. To receive your free newsletter and free ebooks, visit: http://www.themotivationdoctor.com
