Every now and then people will tell me how I am always smiling and will often ask me why that is. Most of the time, my response is simply "Why not?"

There are so many reasons to smile. Even if you feel that there aren't a lot of reasons to smile there is always at least one reason to. For starters, we are alive and well and able to see another day. We can also smile for all of the things we are grateful for and for all of the things we can experience as part of living on this place we call Earth. Such as for our family and friends, our health, the sunrises and sunsets, the oceans waves, the stars and the moon, and countless other things.

Aside from being able to smile about the beauties of Earth and all the things we can be grateful for, there are so many things we can do to put smiles on our faces, so many little things we can do that we sometimes take for granted. At least for me, listening to music puts a smile on my face, especially when it's a song I can sing or dance to (not that I can sing or dance well). And most of the time it gets other people to smile as well. I would like to think it's because they see me smiling and know that I am happy but I'm sure they are probably smiling and maybe even laughing because of my firm confidence in my out of tune singing voice and my two left feet style dance moves. Who am I kidding? It must only be because of my confidence in my out of tune singing voice because I must admit, I have some pretty sick dance moves! After all, I have the moves like Jagger, moves sicker than Napoleon Dynamite's. Okay, Okay, at this point it might just be wishful thinking but hey, even though my dance moves might not be stellar it doesn't mean that I won't still get down on the dance floor!

Speaking of my singing and dancing and making other people smile, smiling is pretty contagious. I love seeing others smile, especially a genuine smile, because their smile ends up making me smile. Some of us may not think too much of smiles but they are pretty powerful. This is also why I am always smiling. Smiles have the power to make someone's day, to invoke peaceful and positive feelings within ourselves and within others. Why not showcase our beautiful smiles and help put smiles on others. You never know who might need a smile to help bring them out of a gloomy phase or seeks the comfort thereof. There have been times where I was in a bummy mood and someone's beautiful and genuine smile was enough to get me out of that mood. And the smile doesn't always have to be directed toward you specifically, sometimes just the sight of someone smiling is enough to make you smile. At the least, make you wonder why it is they are smiling.

Let us not underestimate the power of a smile. It may baffle us as to how something so simple can prove to be so powerful but nonetheless, it is. Use this power to uplift ourselves and others, to warm the hearts that may be a little cold, to soften the walls we sometimes put up and to heal the wounds we may have on the inside. Each of us has the ability to use this power. Not only does each of us have the ability to use this power we also have the ability to reinforce and strengthen this power, simply, by coming together as one.

Sometimes all it takes is a smile.