Daily Dharma

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

Photo by Thomas Hawk

Have you ever been so sad that you felt it would be easier to lift 200 pounds with your back than lift a smile with your cheeks? Perhaps the next time we are sad, we should remember that this smile—this simple smile which we so indignantly resist—might just be the remedy to our sorrows.

Today, just smile.

Maybe today is not necessarily a happy day. If so, that’s all the more reason to smile. Smile at others around you; smile while you’re driving down the street; smile when nobody else is around. Whatever you do, just smile.

Sometimes, there is part of us that wants to be sad, angry, or scared, because the emotion itself gives us an excuse. It allows us to withdraw, to be lazy, or to let our minds wander. When we are angry, scared, or sad, we are not present. We are lost; our minds ensnared in thickets of negative thoughts.

A smile is the machete that frees us.

Smiling when we are joyful is easy; smiling when we are unhappy is not. We can, however, train ourselves to smile, so that smiling becomes as natural as putting on our shoes.

If you practice meditation, you know that what seems like a simple act—clearing your mind of thoughts—is actually fiercely difficult. It is so difficult, in fact, that many spend hours a day practicing it for their entire lives.

Smiling is similar.

Smiling is a simple act that is not so simple. Still, if we begin by consciously reminding ourselves to smile morning, noon, and night, we will start to smile without thinking. Smiling will become a part of us. And soon we will find ourselves smiling even when we are stressed and tired, angry and depressed. Soon, our smiling will begin to rub off on others. And eventually, our smiling may even heal us.

Today’s Challenge

• Smile at three people today
• Smile when you are alone
• Set reminders in your calendar for a few times over the next several days, reminding yourself to smile