A Genuine Smile Will Help Strengthen Positivity In Your Life – PS80
Episode Introduction
I am proud to say that this episode is my 80th show! Listen in to hear a very brief overview of how I started and what changes have happened from time to time. With this episode I offer another change: the first of 5 solo shows where I focus on how to strengthen positivity. After all the show is called Positivity Strategist.
It's the season where one year is ending and a new one is beginning, which is a nice opportunity to reflect, and reassess and make changes. I chose to focus on how we can strengthen positivity as the holiday/ new year period can add pressures to our lives, both stressful and joyful.
Of course, these positivity boosters are relevant all year. It just happens to be timely right right now. In addition, for the last six months, I’ve been focused on building online training courses around positive change which is my thing – personally and professionally – even though for me I can’t separate the two. My personal and professional life is intertwined.
Strengthen Positivity with Positivity Boosters
Over the next five episodes, I’m offering you ways to build your positivity muscle. You’ll learn to be more positive even if your life is in chaos. You’ll be able to apply these valuable practices whenever you feel the need to lift your spirits and your energy.
I’ll introduce a habit each week for you to practive, I’ll tell you why it helps; how to do it and then make some recommendations about how to strengthen the habit.
The goal is that you’ll build your ability to increase positive feelings in your immediate situation. All you have to do is try them out and trust yourself to experience something so easy and natural that can change your life.
Positivity Booster: Smile
Why does this strengthen positivity?
When you smile with a genuine, heartfelt, sincere, authentic smile, it is very different from a hurried stretch of the lips à la “smiley face – have a nice day” kind of smile).
The heartfelt smile is when the corners of your lips expand and turn up, the skin around your eyes gets crinkly, your face softens, and tension lessens throughout your body. The deal maker: your smile needs to be sincere to allow positive emotions to curse through your body and release any stress. You will know when you're faking it – there's no benefit!
How does this strengthen positivity?
You know the mechanics of how to smile, (described above). Consider now what will cause you to smile with sincerity and open your heart. For me, it’s looking at, touching, thinking about my adorable pet cat, Neo.
What might it be for you? What beautiful memories do you have of a connection with someone or something that will cause your face to soften, cause you to raise the corners of your lips and the tiny muscles that circle your eyes to contract and have a surge of warmth washes over you that gives you a glow ?
Recommended practices to strengthen positivity by with a heartfelt smile
Make it a practice to smile at least 3 times each day. Prompts could be:
- recall an experience from memory that will makes you smile in that authentic way and open your heart
- notice the smile of someone else that makes you smile in a heartfelt way
- smile sincerely so you cause someone to smile back at you (at home, at work, on your commute, working out)
- what else might work for you?
Try it at least 3 times today, more if you can, and
make it from the heart!
Link with Robyn
Find out more about my journey to positivity
My TEDx Talk – all about positivity through playful inquiry
My Book
[amazon template=iframe image&asin=0470483164]
Appreciative Inquiry for Collaborative Solutions: 21 Strength-Based Workshops
Let's Stay Connected
It's always great to hear from you. Please connect with me to ask questions or leave comments about this episode or the podcast in general, and there are several good ways to do this:
- Share your questions and ideas on the Podcast Feedback page
- Leave a voice message here, and we may feature your question on an upcoming episode
- Leave a comment on the show notes below
Help Spread the Message of Positivity!
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