SMILE POWER

Smiles change lives, the mood of a room, the despair of a fallen heart. What is a smile worth? First it is a very inexpensive gift, but it has priceless value. I have had people make faces at me, wrinkle their noses, and turn their heads. Nothing good comes from that, but a smile is a different thing. Smiles perk the attitude and atmosphere.

As kids we sang, "Smile awhile and give your face a rest, raise your hand to the one you love the best. Then shake hands with those near by...." My mind cannot come up with the rest of the words, but I know the value of a cheerful, warm, look.

I've read that people who smile more make more. I know that their smile shows a intentional effort to have a positive view and a positive perspective. Smiles are outer reflections of a cheerful, thankful heart.

I read a story about a man who thought all was lost. He didn't have hope. He didn't think he had a reason to smile so he didn't. He went to a counselor and told his plight. The wise counselor asked the man to take a sheet of paper and write "assets" at the top of the sheet on one side and "liabilities" on the other side.

The man said he didn't have any assets and couldn't see the reason of making such a list.

So the counselor asked the discouraged man to put deceased wife on the liability side.

"My wife isn't deceased," the man responded.

The counselor said, "Then put that on the asset side. Now, put house burned down on the liability side."

"My house hasn't burned down," the frowning man said.

"Then put your house on the asset side, and put fired from job on the liability side," the counselor continued.

"I haven't been fired either. I have a job," the man shot back.

"Then put that on the asset side," the counselor directed.

The assets were beginning to far exceed his liabilites. The point is that too often we have a very poor perspective of how things really are. So I guess we need to count our blessings for God has been so good to all of us.

Now, smile!