The power of a smile

“The eyes are the reflection of our soul and the smile is the reflection of our internal power”

I am of Colombian origin and in Colombia (Latin America) we smile and laugh a lot. I also have Belgian nationality, and in Belgium, smiles are more common in spring/summer than in winter/autumn. Furthermore, I have always considered myself a bit Japanese/Korean or rather Asian because I love the Zen culture and the quiet smile of some Japanese, I love their temples, their unique mountains, the quiet morning of Koreans, and the rising sun of Japanese. After my trip to Thailand two years ago, I also identified with Thai women, because like them, a smile is super important to me! The smile is present in all cultures, traditions, religions, it is a universal expression. We often forget it, especially in times like the one we are going through today.

Personally, I smile all the time. Even in moments when joy is not there, even when there are clouds when it rains a lot when I don’t agree with the political, economic, or health situation, and even when I have challenges to overcome, I always keep my smile. There was a moment in this life when I let myself be influenced by the doubts of people who asked me how I could continue to smile when talking about difficult situations and that’s when I asked myself if my smile was not a “mask”, a hypocritical way to keep my happiness (you can read my post on “masks” here: https://www.wellbeingorganized.com/en/collections-masks-how-to-do-a-status-quo/). Today, after this incredible trip to Thailand and the ups and downs of life, I can say with certainty that it is not! Smiling in difficult moments, smiling even when you don’t agree, is not hypocrisy. It is a strength.

Two years ago I made this trip to Thailand, it was a dark and difficult time for me, and at the very moment the plane took off, the unbearable pain of my cervical hernia started. So, here I am, arriving in Bangkok after hours of flight with pain and fatigue with a “little smile” on my face. We were greeted by my friend’s dad and his Thai wife, who had a sparkling smile. My reflection on the smile started this very day: how was I going to keep my smile during the vacations in spite of the pain? … Sacred universe, it put to the test my smile in the “country of the smile”! 🙄

I did not have to wait long to find the answer, because after having rested a few hours, we left with our hosts to visit the temple of the Golden Buddha. With our host, I approached the Buddha as close as possible with the intention of sitting and meditating next to him. Even though the signs explained that the meditation area was reserved for Buddhists and Thai women, I asked my host to ask permission from the guard so that I could meditate next to it. The guard without even looking at me answered with a resounding No! I stayed there anyway, next to the sign with my little smile on my face. Finally, a few minutes later the guard looked at me, smiled at me, and opened the passage for me to go and meditate next to the Buddha (quite an experience!). So I understood well that my smile can change even difficult situations and moments, it can make situations more manageable and pleasant to live. This trip to Thailand was superb, despite my cervical hernia, I took the plane to go from one side of the country to the other, I laughed, ate, visited beaches and places “out of time” and it is one of my best trips.

To have a smile that can’t be broken, to know how to keep calm via the reflection of a smile is the best way to learn to be happy, to be strong.  When I open my eyes in the morning, even before I thank life and all the wonderful things I have, I draw a smile on my face. For years, I have learned to smile at all times, even when I am not so good or when things are not going well, or when I have to overcome hardships. It is precisely in those moments when I put on my brightest smile that I can feel the strength within me. It’s not a mask, and even through a mask, you can “see” my smile! I don’t need a transparent mask for people to see my smile, it can be seen through my eyes because it comes from the depth of my being.

I invite you today to do the experiment, to draw a smile on your face in an intentional way and hold it for a whole day, and try the next day the same exercise. At first, you will see that people will wonder if everything is okay, and then little by little you will experience and feel a unique force, difficult to explain, but which will give you a limitless power.  As you master your smile, a feeling of true inner peace will begin to show itself and happiness will begin to be part of your reality, your daily life, your inner world. And with this peaceful smile, this calm smile, this foolproof smile, you will not only see doors open to you, but you will also lift mountains, and finally, you will have unique opportunities, magical encounters, infinite possibilities.  Come on, show me your best smile. May the smile be with you! 🙂

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 Five reasons why we should keep smiling:

1. A smile puts our energy up  & It reduces the level of stress:  If you are not feeling ok, tried this simple exercise: Said:  “I do not feel OK with a big, a HUGE smile”. Tried it again! You see!  You cannot feel bad if you have a smile on your face! The smile will push your energy up!

2. It helps us live longer & looks younger:  Personally, I decided that I wanted to live up to 110 years, so I keep smiling. Have you ever notice that the older people in the world always have a big smile?

3. It increments our humor and feeling of well-being: Even if it is just a tiny, “mysterious” or “seductive” smile, our feeling of happiness just rises when we see the smile of someone else as a reply to our own smile.

4. It increases the pleasure in our brain: Smile is like chocolate for our brain! It is a positive addiction (better than any drug or alcohol) So keeps smiling!

5. It increases our internal power: We feel stronger, able to conquer any situation, it is like internal armor.