During my last vacation I spend a lot of time reading books. I'm doing a bit of a digital detox, so I had to find other entertainment than my phone. Over three weeks I've read five books, which is an enormous amount for me.
I had collected a nice mix of fiction and non-fiction books. A thriller, a roman, a novel, a sports book, one about meditation and one about the Dalai Lama. Reading those books actually made me feel better. Not only because of the digital detox, but also because of the interesting content.
Especially the book that contained interviews with the Dalai Lama was very educational.
(all images in this post are from Pixabay)
In one of the interviews the Dalai Lama explained about the role of smiling in his religion Buddhism. Smiling is often seen as an expression of inner peace, compassion, and wisdom.
A smile is a sign of letting go of worries and living in the moment.
Meditating with a smile helps you to get a better feeling than meditating without a smile.
Smiling is also seen as a simple way to express compassion and kindness towards others.
A genuine smile is also helpful in social interactions. It makes people more accessible and can also help to reduce conflicts.
This part of the book (The art of happiness) really got me thinking. Thinking about how I can apply this to my own life.
One quote in the book stook with me. When I look it up on the internet it's a quote from the country singer Dolly Parton. I don't know if it is originally hers or she got it from someone else, but I really like this quote:
“If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.”
It's a very simple gesture and is totally free, but can really make a difference.
It made me think of a young lady that I sometimes come across when cycling to work. She always puts up a nice big smile when she passes people from the opposite direction. I'm quite a cheerful person if I say so myself, but when I'm lost in thought (what often happens when I'm cycling) I have quite a serious (my loved ones call it stern) look. But she immediately puts a smile on my face.
Since reading this book I've been trying to apply some of the tips. And smiling is one of them. I struggle a bit with meditating, let alone meditating with a smile. It's quite easy for me to relax, but not thinking about anything is just so hard. My mind keeps drifting away. But I'll keep on trying. Maybe I'll get better at it.
But I also focus on smiling more. Just like the smiling lady on the bicycle I smile more when I'm cycling, jogging or walking or doing other things. Even in the supermarket when people are blocking the way I ask them kindly with a smile if I can pass. Until now I only received positive reactions.
Yesterday I went for a jog in the neighborhood. It was a tough round and I was quite exhausted. Nevertheless, I managed to force a smile to a young couple that was walking. To my surprise the young lady shouted "Good job!" and I replied "Thanks". It gave me a bit of extra energy to continue my round.
Giving someone a smile is easy and free and can also give both the receiver as yourself a better feeling.
I hope this cheerful post brought a smile on your face too!
FriendlyMoose
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