The Power of Smiles

This semester, a friend of mine wrote a blog post on his own personal blog. He told about how he had received a letter from a friend of his ‘just because.’ The letter was basically a ‘thank you for being my friend and an awesome person’ note. Because of receiving that letter, he was inspired to write letters to some of his friends reminding them of how meaningful they are. I absolutely loved this idea. We don’t give people the appreciation and praise they deserve nearly enough. Sure, we compliment someone on an outfit or congratulate them for a good grade on a test. But reminding someone that he or she is a good person and a valuable friend is often overlooked and forgotten. I wrote a few of these letters and even got some back. Even when I didn’t receive a response, it was such a wonderful feeling knowing that I could give someone a little boost of morale. I am big into complimenting people. If I can put a smile on someone’s face, I know it’s been a good day.

Another reason I think reminding people of their worth is so important is that we never know when time will run out. Never put off telling someone just how much he or she means to you, because life is fleeting. This might seem cheesy or cliché, but I have encountered and heard about so many instances this semester of college students dying suddenly, it has really served as a driving force for this fact. I’m not trying to sound morbid, it’s just a realistic thing. You never know when your last conversation with someone could be, so make sure everything you say has intention and meaning. Do everything you can to make a person smile and feel good. This is a big thing I have learned this semester. I think it’s incredibly easy to get caught up in ourselves and our own lives, and forget that everyone around us is trying to live their lives too. I have learned to not get so wrapped up in my own thoughts or plans that I forget to smile at someone as I pass them on the sidewalk. Sometimes people will smile back and sometimes they won’t, but at least you tried. Do absolutely everything you can to brighten people’s days and remind them of how great they are. Just think about when someone says something really complimentary and off-the-cuff to you. Doesn’t it make you feel great? Aim to give that feeling to others as well. I am still in the process of learning to do this every day, and there are days when you simply don’t want to smile at tons of random strangers. But I challenge you just as I challenge myself to do it anyway.