“A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks.” Charles Gordy
I ran across this quote this week and I loved it.
A smile is more than a facial expression. It is a spiritual gesture. It says, “I remember the light within me.” It is a way to project love and light upon others while at the same time lifting your own spirits.
When we smile, we release powerful endorphins that make us feel better while radiating warmth to those around us. Instead of frowning, scowling, or otherwise projecting negativity into the world, we are co-creating with God. We are light bearers, light workers, light holders and projecting our faith inward and outward into dim or dark spaces. It is like holding a lantern and it costs nothing.
I often speak of sacred thresholds, those moments when we choose to cross from fear into faith, from heaviness into lightness. A smile is one such threshold. It does not deny pain or bypass truth. It simply invites a shift. It says, “I am willing to soften, I choose to share love instead of fear.”
When we smile, we change how the world sees us. But more importantly, we change how we see ourselves. We become more approachable, more radiant, more connected. We become reminders to others that joy is possible, even here, even now.
I have seen smiles transform gatherings. In a single moment when you may be the bearer of lightheartedness or grimness, I hope you will choose a smile.
So today, I invite you to try it. Not a forced smile, but a genuine smile that comes from the heart. Smile at your reflection. Smile at the stranger. Smile at the memory of someone you love. Let it be your cost-free miracle. Go Ahead, smile!