I was driving to work one day and was caught in the morning traffic on the Broadway Extension. I happened to look in my rearview mirror and saw that the woman driving the car behind me had a big smile on her face. I couldn’t help but wonder about her. At first, I admit when I initially saw her I thought that she was smiling at something I had done. Isn’t that sad? In the blink of an eye I had a moment of self-centered cynicism. Once I got past that negative thought, I wondered if she was on the phone with someone, but I never saw her talking – just smiling. I realized that she just had a natural friendly expression on her face. When I looked in the mirror at myself, I realized that I was not smiling. Now, I wasn’t frowning or anything – just sort of a neutral countenance. I decided to imitate the woman who was behind me and just drive the rest of the way into work with a smile on my face. You know what? It changes the way you feel.
We talk about this within the St. Luke’s staff. When we talk on the phone, we’re encouraged to smile because it makes your voice far more friendly. Smiling isn’t just a kindness for others, it is a kindness for yourself. It transforms you.
I want to encourage you to be intentional and smile. It is good for others and it is good for you. Who knows – someone might see you smiling in their rearview mirror and start to wondering…
