Turn that frown upside down.

It's a proven fact that it takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown; a mere 17 to be precise. So why do some people find it so difficult? 

On a day to day basis I encounter miserable people. Don't get me wrong, everyone has those 'down' days and in some cases, I have no doubt that there is more of a reason to cry than laugh, but I really feel people should be making more of an effort to be more smiley, mainly because their grumpy face dampens my mood. 

I get this a lot at work, both customers and staff. You get couples who sit there in silence, no conversation, no laughter, not even a smile. Why do you honestly bother coming out of your house? You make me grumpy and make my job a lot harder because I find it difficult to make an effort with people who very clearly don't want to be there. Equally, if one of your colleagues are miserable and short tempered, for no apparent reason, it's going to extend to everyone, and all in all, you're all going to have a thoroughly awful day thanks to one single person. 

Similarly, just walking along a street, why don't people smile at strangers any more? Probably because you'd be accused of some form of mental disorder but it shouldn't be that way. It should be common courtesy to smile and even say 'Good Morning' to random strangers; my neighbours don't even say 'hello'. They say strangers are just friends you haven't met yet; you're never going to meet them if you ignore everyone else in the world. 

I just don't understand it, everyone has so much to smile about. We don't live in a third world country, the majority of us are blessed with at least some family or friends and quite frankly, life could be a whole lot worse. 

Now I won't lie and say a smile a day keeps the wrinkles away because that'd be a lie, you're still going to get wrinkles. However, they're going to be good wrinkles. Wrinkles that tell a story. Stories worth laughing and smiling about for years to come. So for those conscious of ageing,  if you've got 'crows feet', be proud of them, you've smiled enough, if you have those deep crinkly ones on your forehead however, I have no sympathy, you're simply a grumpy person. 

So smile more. It doesn't take much, just a little tweak of that crooked mouth of yours. If not for yourself, for others, you're currently that big black cloud blocking the sun. Smiling is contagious. Start spreading the smiles and that grumpy old man you encounter regularly, might break the habit of a lifetime and smile with you.