At 13 years old, I felt ugly. One day, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I noticed that I looked pretty when I smiled. So, I decided to set a goal to smile at everyone I crossed paths with each day for the next few weeks.

I remember how silly it felt to literally smile at everyone I saw, including strangers. Eventually this became a fun exercise that turned into a habit.

Looking back at every stage in my life, there have been hundreds of times I’ve been complimented on my smile, no matter where I was in the world. To this day, I continue my smiling ritual.

One of my favorite outcomes is seeing someone smile, who at first glance, wasn’t looking so happy, and then they flash a smile right back. I love seeing the transition! Oh, and another fave is when an uneasy event occurs involving another person and instead of getting upset, I smile and then they smile too (most of the time). Think of when someone accidentally bumps into you or cuts you off when driving and instead of getting angry or honking your horn, you just smile at them. 😊

Of course, there are several times people don’t smile back and that’s OKAY. I don’t take it personally.

My challenge to you for the next seven days is to show your pearly whites to everyone you see and discover for yourself how happier you feel and make them feel.

Smile at Everyone 😊

Have a Zenatudinal Day!