If a Child and An Adult Smile-Daily Meditation-July 13, 2023
Today’s quotation:
If a child and an adult smile, that is very important. If in our daily lives, we can smile and be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone, will profit from it. If we know how to live, what better way to start the day than with a smile? Our smile affirms our awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. The source of a genuine smile is an awakened mind.-Thich Nhat Hanh.
Today’s Meditation:
Smiles are incredibly powerful, and they send a message immediately that mere words can’t express. When someone smiles at me sincerely, we’re sharing something extraordinary as long as the smile is sincere and without malice. I like to smile and keep my eyes and ears open for reasons to smile. I don’t, however, walk around with a smile permanently on my face–smiles are another one of those things that, if we use them too much if we use them insincerely, become much less believable, much less trustworthy.
It’s fairly easy to find things to smile about if we allow ourselves to do so. If we focus on the things we love, smiles are bound to come, and they can benefit us greatly. I’ve heard the argument, “If you were going through what I’m going through, you wouldn’t want to smile.” Still, my experience tells me that such a perspective isn’t a result of circumstances but a choice that the person makes to stay focused on the problems and ignore the blessings that are also all around them in abundance. Life is too short to spend long periods without smiling.
It’s a shame how often smiles are misunderstood or greeted with suspicion. It’s understandable, given how many people use smiles to manipulate others. I have to remember that the smiles I share with other people won’t always have the effect that I want them to have–, but that shouldn’t keep me from sharing them.
I especially like to trade smiles with kids. Their smiles are so heart-warming and loving that they can make my heart melt, and they like seeing adults smile back at them and enjoy their company. If you want to add some sunshine to the world, share your smile with others, and you’ll love the sunshine they share with you when they smile back.
Questions to consider:
Why are smiles so often such a powerful thing?
Why do so many people smile so little?
How many times have you shared your smile today?
For Further Thought:
What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.-Joseph Addison
If you missed our last Daily Meditation, it is here.
