Over the years, you might begin to realize that it is the simple things that make life worth living. It is the small gestures that make the biggest difference or the simple silences that tend to go a long way. What may just be the most simple task, a true act of kindness, is smiling. Whether it is a close-lipped smirk or a toothy grin, a smile can make a big impact.

A smile is a universal way to say hello. It does not matter how old you are, what language you speak, or what country you are from, everyone understands a smile. Not only can a smile change your mood, but it is also healthy for the body. In fact, smiling releases endorphins that can reduce stress and make you happy. So, how cool is it that there is science behind smiling?

Anyway, smiling gives us a reason to take a moment to forget about our worries and just focus on the now. A dead phone battery and a failing grade on an exam seem like such terrible events that can cause the end of the world, but it is the actions that can turn our frowns upside-down. No matter how small your facial muscles move your mouth into the form of a smile, you cannot help but feel slightly happier than you were feeling before.

It is looking through pictures on your phone and struggling to contain laughter while reminiscing on a comical memory or taking a walk outside that can pull the straight line our lips make into a concave-up curve. Eating your favorite food or spending time with your friends and family are just a few of the many simple actions that can draw a smile on your face. It is your hard work paying off or the words from a compliment you receive that not only make you smile, but will also make you happy.

Besides finding ways to make yourself smile, why not find ways to make someone else smile? Why not reflect your own happiness onto someone else? It can be as simple as holding the door for someone or helping someone carry a heavy object from one place to another. Making someone else smile may seem cheesy, but it could potentially mean the absolute world to that person, and you may not even know it.

So, yes, it is safe to say that smiling can create happiness. Why not spread the happiness to others by smiling? Just like strep throat and the flu, smiles are contagious too. Whether you like it or not, a smile will always be with you, and it will not escape from you. Life is short, and I am sure you would want to spend your life smiling, instead of having a stern expression resting on your face, right?