Thursday, January 28, 2010

The Value of a Smile

The other day I watched a special report about the founders of Home Depot. They had a dream to do something big but really didn't have the necessary capital to start properly. They devised a strategy of borrowing large cardboard boxes and empty paint cans to put all over the store giving the appearance that they were "big". Who wants to come into a store that has empty shelves everywhere? The empty paint cans were eventually returned and replaced with real ones. Home Depot became one of the best success stories in our country after escaping bankruptcy in its early stages. They were able to fake it until they made it.

Even if you are having a rough day on the inside, a smile tells the world that you are having a great day. Your smile can light up the world around you. It is like putting up empty paint cans in the rafters telling the world that you are seizing the day. It is contagious.

You cannot put a monetary value on a smile. It takes less muscles to generate a smile than it does to frown. Before you enter the workplace or meet a friend, look in the mirror and tell yourself you are going to smile no matter what. After a while, you no longer have to fake a smile, as the simple act of smiling creates a mood of happiness.

Don't forget to laugh a little while you are working on smiling. Laughing and smiling go together. They are like flu shots that keep you from getting ill.

The world does not need to know that you are faking a smile or that your smile is real. Just like the founders of Home Depot discovered, a good appearance on the outside can lead to something big. Just fake it until you make it.

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