21 Feb, 2011
The kindness of smiles (part 2)
Posted by andrea tomkins in: Challenge me, challenge you
(A continuation of this post.)
Sorry for the really long backstory there, I wanted to explain why (a) why I thought smiling was important and (b) why smiling can be a bit challenging for me at times.
I think we probably can all agree that:
- Smiling makes you happy.
- Smiling makes other people feel happy (at least feel good for a split second), and who knows, maybe those brief connections have a farther-reaching impact than we think?
This is going to sound REALLY WEIRD, but since it’s Kindness Week, I’ve decided that from February 22 -24 I’m going to make the extra effort to dole out the smiles. That’s right, I’m going to razzle dazzle as many people as I can with my smile. This includes friends and neighbors, clients, perfect strangers, and my family.
Smiling is so easy, and it makes the world a better place.
I realize that I run the risk of looking like a crazy person, but I think that this will have a positive effect on myself (and hopefully) others.
PLUS: I’m going to keep track. (I haven’t figured that part out yet. Is there an app for that?? Hee hee.)
Would you like to add to my totals? How many smiles can we collect here? That’s the big question.
How not to frighten people! Things to keep in mind:
- Accompany a smile with a nod and a hello. (I already do this while taking the dog out for a walk. It totally works.)
- If smiling at a stranger, direct it at their child or dog …. if there is one available. It make smiling less scary. (For them.)
- Reign in the width and brilliance of the smile in smaller enclosed areas such as elevators and stairwells. (Smile briefly! This is not the place for a Cheshire.)
- Choose your recipients carefully. I cannot take responsibility for smiles gone awry. Smiling widely at a beefy leather-clad member of a biker gang suffering with poison ivy while sitting across from you at the doctor’s office might not be a good idea.
SMILE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
I’m kidding. Obviously. (Ok sort of kidding.)
So I’m issuing a challenge. On Tuesday February 22 through Thursday February 23 (inclusive), I’m going to be tallying the smiles. Join me? Even though Kindness Week is an Ottawa-area initiative (here’s the official kindness blog!) you don’t need to live here to join. Track the smiles you bestow upon others and add your daily totals in the comments below. I will total the numbers on the 25th and we’ll see how many extra smiles made it out into the world during Kindness Week.
Are you up for it?
