Put a smile upon your face

We have a saying in our house:

Put a smile upon your face and make the world a better place.

My kids are four and six. It doesn't take much for the tears to flow or the frown to suddenly appear.

But it's amazing how many times their little faces can light up again with a tickle under the arms or by starting off this little phrase and letting them finish it off with a smile.

This morning I asked them both to show me their best smiles. Both were pretty good to be fair. Then we ran up stairs to find some smiley clothes.

Before I knew it we were hatching a secret plan to go to the soft play centre as soon as mummy had left for work, together with secret maps and clues and everything. 

Turns out the play centre is shut until midday. Cue instant frowns all round. Quick smile check, then off to the nearest cafe.

It got me thinking how often I smile at people at work and the positive impact it has.

Where I work is generally a pretty bubbly kind of a place. We take our work seriously but not ourselves is how my old boss put it.

But by choosing (and it is a choice) to smile at people as they catch your eye it's amazing how infectious it is and how good their smile back makes you feel. Try it.

Anyway it's the book I'm reading that got me thinking about all this. There's a lovely ancient Chinese proverb quoted:

'A man without a smiling face must not open a shop. '

It's as true today as it was back then. Made me smile.