For Introverted Optimists, How A Smile Is Louder Than Speaking

By

Everyone has their own way of sending out a convincing message. Living in a world filled with extroverts and constantly taking on roles that require a lot of pleasing other people, talking (and any form of physical gesture) can be very exhausting. I don’t believe in aggression or feel the urge of communicating assertively where I have to be the loud one in order to be heard. My conviction in sending out a message is completely different. Being an introverted optimist, I believe in the power of persuasion through a smile.

A smile, you may ask? Yes, I am not mistaken.

A smile can do numerous things. It is confidence and your body’s way of sending out a beautiful harmonic energy to the atmosphere that surrounds you. It uplifts, regardless of the busy paper works and the stressful eight hour days. It’s that effect you feel when you see your new born child looking into your eyes for the first time or simply connecting with that special person in candid laughter. When I send a person a smile, whether to a stranger or an old friend, I want them to feel comfort and that there is no need to scare people in order to gain the respect I yearn for. There are too many cruel things that go on in society today – through music, social media, corporations, politics – for a world so complex that requires us to bring out the lion (or lioness) within ourselves, why should we forget one simple thing that should come naturally?

Not so long ago, I was watching this independent film directed by Josh Radnor (we all know him as Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother) – his first directorial debut back in 2010 entitled Happythankyoumoreplease. I was absolutely, and utterly, appeased of the message that was delivered through this film. Uplifting movies are wholly one of my guiltiest pleasures but, unlike any other films, this hit the nail on the head for me. Here we have a group of friends, young adults living in the city, who struggle with everyday life and find the true meaning of what it feels to love and be loved and, hence, find happiness. In the simplest ways, they find bliss in each other and it’s breathtaking to know how small circumstances (or by doing good) can simply create a wonderful impact.

By the end of the movie, I ended up contemplating my own life. Questions started lingering in the back of my head. Am I happy? What is the cause of my uncertainties and how can I fix them? And then, an answer (something that I also picked up from the film): count your blessings. There are many things to be thankful for and by being grateful, we are in the search for more. Happy. Thank You. More Please.

When we smile, we bring happiness even for just a brief moment. You can save a life by uplifting a person who’s had a rough day. It is an effortless movement that can mean a lot without the use of words or physical gestures.

It is your body’s art, so smile.

image – Shutterstock