Key Point: I am going to remind you of something that we intuitively know, but sometimes forget the importance of. Many of us are using the New Year to reflect on what might improve us. You know, make us healthier, happier, live longer, become more attractive, benefit our relationships and overall state of being, etc. This blog has a recommendation that is almost too simple, easy, and frankly, may seem a little corny.
This involves no gyms, no diets, no vitamins, no therapy, no Botox, no drugs, other mood modifying substances, no purchase obligations and zero cost. And the recommended action is scientifically proven over years of research to make our life better. If it sounds too good to be true, in this case it actually isn’t. It just works. You’ll probably be a little surprised.
Please take seven minutes to watch Ron Gutman‘s TED Talk video:
The data on the benefits of smiling are almost laughable. Practically validate this research by thinking about the people you interact with or work around who rarely smile. How attracted are you to them? How often is that sourpuss you?
Thanks for investing in yourself by watching this great TED Talk. Now…Even if you don’t commit to any other New Year’s resolution, or set any other 2014 objectives, please consider doing the following: (Or make better Character Moves).
Character Moves:
- Consciously greet people through the day by smiling at them; start with who you live with in the morning when you get up. Do this more often than you do today. It is so rewarding to be around someone who smiles. Why not? What will you lose or give up? It’s free.
- Take a “selfie” photo of you smiling a few times per week and send it someone you care about. Think of the research regarding pre-1950 baseball cards and how much longer those players who broadly smiled lived… Seven years longer than the frowner downers… Wow. This action will create your own “live longer, smiling baseball card” on a regular basis. Think it’s silly? How much is living longer worth?
- Purposefully do something to make you smile more often daily like taking a multi-vitamin. Make a point of smiling more than 20 times per day. Apparently less than 25 percent of adults actually achieve that. Little kids smile on average 400 times per day. What happens to make us grumpy adults? Don’t be that “pickle face” I have written about previously. Consciously smile more and accept the positive returns throughout 2014 and beyond.
More smiling in The Triangle :),
Lorne