SMILE! A 21-day Challenge

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”– Thich Nhat Hanh

Life deals us some pretty nasty blows sometimes that it seems almost impossible to find something about which to smile.

But have you noticed that, even in the midst of the darkest of days, the infectious laughter of a small child can make your heart sing?

Or you watch a kitten take on Intruder Cat in Mohammed Ali fashion, pummeling  its reflective archenemy while being stunned by blows dealt back before hissing and backing away.  Before you realize it, your giggles turn into guffaws, unsympathetic to the plight of the feline scrapper.

As you walk down the street, a total stranger smiles at you and you find yourself smiling back at the kindness shown in her eyes and the softness of her smile.

For some, music is the answer. No, I’m not referring to the cry-in-your-beer-because-your-wife-ran-off-with-an-armadillo kind of songs, although that image just made me grin.

In each of these moments, all of life’s challenges and sorrows can disappear for a little while, giving  you respite from  your pain and disappointment.

“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 were to adopt a practice of smiling at one other person each day before they smiled first, could it make a difference in your disposition?

If you were to make a choice to listen to a particular song that made you want to dance every time you heard it, would it give you relief, even for a few minutes?

My challenge to you is to find something every day for 21  days (beginning Wednesday, May 15th) that makes you smile. Keep a smile journal.

I will report each day on the Challenge Results Page one thing that made me smile.  Please join me by sharing  your results for the day, as well.

Let’s see how many we can get to take this challenge!  It’s time to…

SMILE!

(Music video by Kirk Franklin performing I Smile. (C) 2011 Verity Gospel Music Group, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment)

 (To share with the readers what made you smile each day of the 21-Day Challenge, please go to the Results Page by clicking here or  the tab at the top of the page.  I will start tomorrow by making the first comment, and then feel free to follow suit! 🙂 )

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