I started reading about the power of a smile and soon found many interesting insights. How was your day today? Did it bring a smile to your face? a frown or perhaps you are not sure.

When our brain feels good and tells us to smile, we smile and tell our brain it feels good and so forth. I know that it’s important to be happy, yet the simple act of smiling sends a message to our brains that we are happy. Our faces look brighter, friendlier and more appealing. Smiling can make others happy, so when I recently looked at the art exhibition by students at my College, I noticed the uplifting, positive faces that were painted by teenagers smiling back at me.

Now if that’s not a cheesy grin and wide smile, I am lifted in my mood instantly.

Seeing a friend smile can activate muscles in your face to make that same expression, without you even being aware that you are doing it. Crazy, right?

Isn’t this a beautiful portrait of a mother’s love? She’s not holding back her smile. Nor should we.

Smiling helps you de-stress.

Smiling can lead to laughter. Even watching a comedy movie when you are feeling down can relax your whole body.

Well, there’s a lot of science out there to explain what happens when we smile. I don’t want to go into that, except to share with you this gem of a quote, ” smiling stimulates our brain’s reward mechanisms in a way that even chocolate, a well regarded pleasure-inducer, cannot match.”

These bright paintings reflect the girl’s love of colour, pattern and design. How gorgeous.

A more dramatic piece, this picture was done by a twelve year old. Amazing.

I love the way he has painted the smile red. Eyes sparkle. No frowns. Positive energy.

Look at the angles, the wide mouth, teeth and eye balls! Makes you feel like dancing or celebrating. Hypnotic! Dazzling!

Now if we were to practise smiling in front of the mirror, it can invoke the emotion immediately of joy. I realise that some people are not comfortable with smiling and prefer to have less people drawn to them. Their faces are puzzled, sullen or sad. I like to think that what mother Teresa said is very true, that “we shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” reaches probably even further than imagined.

I find myself smiling and giggling a lot when I visit the grand children. They are cute and spontaneous, hiding in places that are obvious to see. Funny conversations we share bring smiles to my face. Sometimes during awkward moments, the little ones burst out with an unexpected phrase, and it makes you laugh. There’s beauty in a child’s smile, so much more than a threatening frown.

Imagine a day when you really concentrate on smiling at a stranger – it can have a real impact on their lives.

Now it’s the end of the day. Even though I am tired and ready to switch off from school things, I hope that you can be contagious when you are smiling tomorrow. Good luck!