The Power of Smile — Day 8 of the Writing Challenge

I was surprised when I first moved to Canada

When I moved to Canada many years ago, I noticed that people smiled a lot.

I am not going to lie. At first, I found it strange.

A random stranger at the strip mall, gas station, or morning walk would smile, say hello, or good morning.

It was refreshing.

Let me tell you just so you can understand where I am coming from.

In my home country, people are not as quick to smile or be friendly to strangers.

In fact, it is considered rude and disrespectful to smile at a random stranger of the opposite gender. This is because smiling is seen as a sign of interest, and you don’t want to send the wrong message.

Every country has its cultural norms, and I respect that.

I soon realized that smiling and being friendly is just a part of the culture here in Canada. People are generally more polite, which creates a warm and welcoming environment. I really appreciate this about Canada, and it’s one of the things that makes me feel at home here.

Do you know the average life expectancy in Canada is 82 years?

Do you see the connection?

Happy = Long life

So do you wanna live up to 85 years?

A smile is priceless and may also be worth a few extra years of life. That’s the finding of a study that shows smiling can help you live exceptionally longer. Where researchers defined an exceptionally longer life span means living up to 85

The study, published in Harvard Health Publishing, found that people who smile more often tend to live longer than those who don’t. The research included data on more than 70,000 adults. Findings suggest that smiling, “a marker of low psychological stress and optimism,” directly leads to a longer life.

Do you want more reasons to smile?

In our fast-paced, constantly connected world, it’s easy to forget the power of a smile. But the truth is that smiling is one of the simplest and most effective ways to positively impact those around us.

It has been shown to boost our mood and increase our sense of well-being, and it’s contagious — when we see someone smiling, it’s difficult not to smile back. And when you smile, the person you interact with feels good too. This is because smiling activates the release of neurochemical substances in the brain that have positive effects on our mood, emotions, and overall well-being.

So smiling has been linked with decreased stress levels, lower blood pressure, improved cardiovascular health, and relieving pain.

Hey, But Beware, not all Smiles are Happy Smiles.

Smiles can be ambiguous things. They can be genuine expressions of happiness, or they can be masks that people wear to hide their true feelings.

When you see someone smiling, it’s natural to assume they’re happy. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes, people smile because they’re angry, afraid, miserable, or embarrassed. And sometimes, it’s hard to tell what a person is really feeling just by looking at their smile.

So the next time you see someone smiling, don’t assume you know what they’re really thinking or feeling. They could be hiding a lot more than you realize.

A smile is the most beautiful thing you can wear. It’s an expression of joy, happiness, love, and laughter. When you smile, the world smiles back at you.

So why not start your day with a smile? Take a moment to appreciate the good things in your life and let your positive attitude shine through. The world will be a better place — and so will you!

Excited to share my work with you! I hope it provides some helpful insights. Follow me to keep up with new posts.

if you haven’t already read what I wrote on days 5 and 6 of my writing challenge you can check it out here: