The Power of a Soul Smile

“It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like the morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.”    - F. Scott Fitzgerald

I was having a really bad day. Everything was setting me off. I felt angry, frustrated, irritated, pissed off, and ready to lash out if one more thing came up. Life was not going my way in the slightest and it was driving me into despair. I was sitting in my car waiting on a red light. As the crosswalk sign turned green, I noticed a man walking from my right. As he passed in front of my car, he turned his head, looked at me while making eye contact, and had the biggest smile on his face. Immediately my energy shifted. It was as if all of the irritation, frustration, and despair just melted away. That man shared a most precious gift with me - his warm, happy, friendly smile. A smile that beamed from the inside out. It’s one of those moments I will never forget. 

Our smile is so powerful - it can shift our own energy, it can shift the energy in others. It can’t be just any smile though, it has to be one that’s connected to the heart - a real, genuine smile. The best are smiles that just beam out from us. Fake or forced smiles don’t cut it. A smirk doesn’t cut it. Smiles used to cover our fear or embarrassment don’t cut it. In order to smile more, we need to get in touch with our soul’s joy. What actually brings joy to your heart and a smile to your face? For me, it’s seeing something beautiful in nature, it’s hearing the laughter of kids (or adults acting like kids) playing and having fun, it’s watching a show that’s touching or makes me laugh. When I go into meditation and connect with my soul self, I smile. When someone does something kind, I achieve something, or I feel fulfillment, I smile. When I’m happy to see someone or it’s a sunny day, I smile. What are the sources of your soul smiles?

Did any of the above images happen to bring a smile to your face? A smile from another warms the heart. It’s one of the loveliest gifts we can give each other and what does it cost us? A smile is presence, it’s sharing our joy. Again, we're not talking about forced smiles. It takes connecting to your heart, to your soul, to tap into the best smiles. Babies and kids do this pretty effortlessly. We adults need to work at it a bit due to our conditioning. A smile can be powerful medicine - it helps relax the body, puts us in a higher vibratory state, and helps keep our mood elevated. I challenge you to find your soul smile today - and let it beam.

Heart hugs, Adrienne :)