It Costs Nothing, but to Some It's Worth a Fortune

How Do We Practice Kindness, a Big, Maybe the Biggest, Buzzword of the Day?

We might begin with a smile. Not a forced I'm making myself do this type of grin, a sheepish yeah-I-did-it sort of smile, or a half-hearted effort, but a genuine, warm, friendly smile.

Smiling from the heart not only benefits the person receiving the gesture, but research shows that it releases feel-good neurotransmitters like endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin while lowering stress hormones. Not only that, but a big, happy smile accompanied by a greeting makes it more difficult for someone to speak to us in a rude manner. (As a disclaimer, I'll add that there are some who probably will fail to acknowledge our gesture. We mustn't get discouraged. If we smile often enough, perhaps our grins will influence others.)

So, How Do We Make Smiling at People a Way of Life?

Many would say, "Just do it."

I agree. After the first attempt, it should get easier and become more natural, even when we're having a bad day. The friendly deed could lift our spirits as well as someone else's, especially if the person we greeted with our happy hello reciprocates.

Also, realizing that we're all different makes it easier to smile. Even though we can become acquainted with like-minded people, there's no one else exactly like us. Ironically, though, we expect others to act the same way we do. When someone doesn't say or do what we would, we can grow angry, puzzled, or hurt. We must remember that they aren't us, and they often don't think the way we do. So, let's give anyone who disagrees with us the benefit of the doubt, tell them to have a nice day, flash the smile again, and leave. There's an old saying about judging others: "Don't judge me until you've walked a mile in my shoes."

People are carrying all sorts of baggage and burdens these days. We don't know whether the person we're speaking to has recently received a bad health diagnosis, had his or her heart broken in a relationship, lost a loved one, or is dealing with any number of other difficulties. If we share a smile, we may lift the spirits of someone going through a difficult time or having a bad day, and it costs us nothing.

Another reason to smile at others may come from a spiritual teaching or simply from remembering the Golden Rule. As a Christian, I was taught to love others, so I try to draw on that belief, even though it isn't always easy. For those who haven't heard of the Golden Rule, it's "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If only we could take a moment to repeat the Golden Rule in our heads as we approach people in our daily lives, we would probably see many more smiles and acts of kindness.