Peace Begins With a Smile: Celebrating National Smile Power Day

“Peace begins with a smile…“-Mother Theresa

A smile can change the world. A bold statement. But time and time again we see smiles crossing borders, crossing cultures, and crossing languages, opening doors that no piece of delegation could ever open. But why?  Why is such a simple gesture so powerful?  I think it’s because, despite the significant amount of cynicism that runs rampant in our culture (and on our computer screens) there is something pure and simple about  a smile that can have a profound impact on the way we feel about ourselves and others. It may sound silly, but a smile really can change the world.

It turns out, there is actually some science behind why exactly we are all so universally affected by a smile. An article in Forbes Magazine argues that the act of smiling can actually raise your endorphin levels, make you feel as good as if you had eaten 2,000 chocolate bars (without the 200,000 calories!) or received $25,000, and--get this-- even lengthen your life. Now there is something to smile about!

So then, if a smile can be so powerful, why not use it to its full advantage?  Luckily, today is (as you may have already guessed!) National Smile Power Day! Figuring that it was time to put all of this research to the test, I decided to make a conscious effort to smile more often throughout the day, especially towards others. I found that, when I smiled, I naturally felt happier. I wanted to act more kindly and think more positively throughout the rest of my day. 
  
It can be so easy to allow negativity to take over and to think the worst of those around us.  To assume the guy who cut you off on the highway is just a huge jerk. That the girl who placed a 20 step order in front of you in the coffee line had probably been sent there specifically to ruin YOUR day.   But when I made the effort to smile, I found myself thinking better of others.   Or, perhaps more importantly, thinking of others at all. How often had I only seen that guy as “traffic guy” and that girl as “coffee diva”, without giving a second thought to who they were? How often had I gone through my day, seeing these people as extras in my one woman show?  But the simple act of smiling made me not only take a beat to think of these people as, well, people, but to think of them positively.

 
And it didn’t just affect my own inner thought process.  While I received a confused look or two, most people seemed genuinely pleased that someone acknowledged them in a pleasant way.  I noticed that they seemed to take that smile with them, if only for a second.  Have you ever seen those commercials where the girl on one side of the screen eats a doughnut for breakfast and the girl on the other side has a Special K bar and the Special K girl decides to take the stairs and eat a salad at lunch while doughnut girl takes the elevator and eats a Big Mac because she made a bad breakfast choice? Though slightly exaggerated, it’s not too far off the mark. One good choice truly does lead to another, including the choice to smile.  Imagine the possibilities if everyone I smiled at felt better as a result and passed that positivity on to the next person they saw and the next person. It sounds so simple and really, it is. It is so simple, but so so powerful. 

---

   So can a smile end all of our problems? Probably not. But, as Mother Theresa stated, peace BEGINS with a smile, and that means that peace on the playground, in schools, and on the internet can begin with a smile too. Smile at your neighbor, at your boss, at your customers, at your students. Text a smiley face to your friend or post one on your mother’s Facebook page. Encourage your children to smile at the new kid or the crossing guard as they pass by in the morning. I think you will be just as amazed as I was at the results.

   I encourage all of you to go out on this day of smiling and give it a try!   What’s YOUR favorite way of making the day a little brighter? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!  Then send us a picture of your biggest smile on our Twitter or Facebook page along with your stories of how you celebrated National Smile Power Day! Together we can make a huge difference…or at least live longer;)

---

---

While bullying is nothing to smile about, these books designed to help kids combat and talk about bullying are! Studies show that early intervention is key to stopping bullying in its tracks. As children read about the sticky purple bully, A. Blob, they will learn that there is often more to a bully than meets the eye and discover that the power to create a happy, safe environment is right inside of them. Now that's something to smile about!

​Trapped inside a bus with a bullying pile of goo, what will the kids of Lincoln Elementary School do? The sticky, purple bully, A. Blob, is back in this second installment of The Blob Trilogy, and it seems it still hasn’t learned that being mean won’t make friends stick.

As A. Blob pokes and pesters on the school bus, it seems the kids are stuck in quite the sticky situation. But can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in the masterfully illustrated sequel to This is A. Blob.

Who – or what – is A. Blob? Find the answer in This is A. Blob, a beautifully illustrated tale of a playground bully’s antics. Discover that A. Blob and, perhaps others like him, may not be exactly what they seem.
​
Along with its powerful illustrations and rhymed verse for early readers, this story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another and encourages readers to consider why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help.