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Today's
Meditation:
People who share their smiles freely are such a
blessing in life-- I know that the effect of a smile on me
is incredibly positive. It makes me feel something
inside that I can't explain, kind of like the feeling I
get when I see a beautiful flower or watch a puppy or a
kitten play. It's just a good, good feeling.
Unfortunately, though, I'm a bit stingy with my smiles,
especially with strangers. I don't smile easily,
except with people I know well, and I wish that I did
smile more. I know how nice other people's smiles
make me feel, so it seems somewhat selfish of me to
deprive others of my smile, and I shouldn't tell myself
that it doesn't really matter, because it obviously
does. I don't beat myself up about not smiling more,
but I do try to change the situation as much as I can.
Of course, smiles are much nicer when they're
genuine. Smiles can be abused, especially if
someone's trying to manipulate you or make you feel at
ease before they stick it to you (the insincere
salesperson leaps to mind). Sometimes it's in our
best interests not to trust a particular smile. This
is an unfortunate reality of life, but one that we must
pay attention to. For my part, I try not to be too
suspicious until something else tips me off that trust may
not be in my best interest.
Smiles can accomplish so much, yet we tend to value them
very little. A person who shares a smile is always
taking a risk, and I for one want to be a person who
rewards the risk-taker by smiling back, or even saying
something like, "Nice smile-- thanks!"
Smiles can warm our hearts and put us at ease and let us
know that someone else likes us and accepts us enough to
share something so special, so let us please not
undervalue these wonderful gifts to humanity.
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