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smiling Little girl with paint on her face — **Thank you for your Photo Senjuti Kundu on Unsplash.**

“Do Something That Makes You Smile Today” by Joan Y. Edwards

It is important for your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being to do something that makes you smile every day of your life. Chances are you spend most of your day doing things to help others. It is essential to take a few minutes of time for you. Or things have got you so tense, you can’t relax. Do something that makes you smile today and every day. It’s healing. It is a gift you deserve. It is a gift you need. You may be working from early morning to night. You may be stressed from caring for others.

God says in Matthew 22:37-40. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first . And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.“

You may focus on helping others smile. Now it’s your turn. Once a day for at least 10 or 15 minutes, do something that is fun for you. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. It can be enjoying nature outside your window. Do something that makes you smile on the inside and the outside. It will help you be more at peace. It will help you accept yourself as you are. Truly wonderfully made.

What’s fun for you? What might make you smile. Here are a few ideas.

Say a prayer of gratitude for your life and for little things that make you smile.
Read your favorite scripture from the Bible
When I was taking care of my Mom, when someone came to watch her for me, what was fun for me was…make a guess…Yes. You got it. Sleeping for an hour was fun for me.
Take a warm bath.
Take a hot shower.
Walk in a garden, a park, or down your street.
Watch one of your favorite movies.
Drink a cup of hot tea or hot chocolate.
Call a friend. Ask them to share a funny story or good news with you.
Listen to your favorite music.
Draw or paint a picture.
Read a book or look at comics to help you smile.
Get a massage. Ah. A soft massage is so comforting.
Get a manicure or pedicure. Getting polish with sparkles in it makes me smile. I’ve seen men getting manicures and pedicures, too…with no polish.
Play a game.
Take silly pictures.
Do a google search for fun things to do near you. Amazing ideas will come up.

Each of you has many things that make you smile, that brings you joy. These are the things that are good for your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. They will help you relax and enjoy being you. Go for it.

I did a post on this in July 2020. “Do Something Fun Today:” https://joanyedwards.com/do-something-fun-today/ I feel so strongly about this that I wrote this one for you today.

Please share with me 3 things you like to do that make you smile. I love hearing from you. More resources below my signature.

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Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2009-2023 Joan Y. Edwards

Resources:

Good Housekeeping. “100+ Creative Things to Do When You’re Bored to Pass the Time:” https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a26872864/what-to-do-when-bored/
Jeff Payleitner. “What If God Wrote Your Bucket List? https://www.christianbook.com/wrote-bucket-things-dont-want-miss/jay-payleitner/9780736962704/pd/962704
Check out the inspiring and funny quotes here: Inspiring Quotes. https://www.inspiringquotes.com
Joan Y. Edwards. “Do Something Fun Today”
https://joanyedwards.com/do-something-fun-today/
“Funny Times:” https://funnytimes.com/
Bill Harvey. “The Odds:” http://www.beholdcomics.com/gallery2.htm

“Be the Reason Someone Smiles Today” by Joan Y. Edwards

My personal mantra is to encourage others on my path in life so they do not give up on themselves. One way to help people look at things differently is to be the reason they smile. I love to be the reason people smile. It makes me smile on the inside. It fills me with joy.

My PaPa Bruffey loved to make people smile. He took pictures of them and sent them prints in the mail with little drawings and words that would make your heart sing. He went to the Miss America contests and took pictures there. One year he was a judge for the Miss North Carolina contest. On a girl’s picture he would put, “So beautiful, she would make a bulldog break his chain.”

My grandmother on my father’s side of the family, Mother Meyer loved to laugh. She was even able to laugh at her own foibles and humanity. That was a wonderful trait. For instance, one time she got a new black coat. It was lovely and warm for winter. She picked up what she thought was a bottle of spray perfume. Instead it was red spray paint!

My Mother made me laugh. I don’t believe that was her intention, but she did it seamlessly. She said wise things that surprised me and therefore brought a smile to my face. One time I asked her, “Mother, do you believe when people die they go to heaven?” Her answer, “Some do and some don’t.”

My Uncle Sam Bruffy, PaPa Bruffey’s brother, made me laugh (notice they are brothers and spelled their last name differently). He could use ventriloquism and throw his voice so it sounded like some dogs were right outside the door. One year he dressed up as the United States Uncle Sam and walked on stilts, probably for a costume party. I was in second grade. I went back to school. I saw a poster of Uncle Sam saying, “I Want You.” I told the children in the class that the man in the poster was my Uncle Sam. The teacher had to settle the heated issue and explain to the children that I actually had an Uncle Sam who dressed up like that but that it wasn’t him in the poster.

Leo Widrich tells us to stand in front of a mirror and smile. He says even a practiced smile can help you feel happy and more relaxed immediately.

Here are ten things that may make someone smile:

Smile at them. Smiling is contagious, like laughter.
Give them a real compliment that comes from your heart. Explain how not everyone does what they do.
Thank them for something they’ve done for you. Simple things like opening a door, carrying a package, giving them your seat.
Share a humorous experience you’ve had.
Help them do something they can’t do for themselves.
Call them on the phone and see how they are doing. Hearing a friendly voice on the phone will brighten their day. You can ask, “Is this a good time to talk?”
Send them a card or letter through snail mail.
Pay for their meal.
Give them a gift.
Listen to them.

There are many more ways to help people smile. If they don’t smile, it’s okay. Keep smiling anyway. Being kind sends many smiles your way. Sometimes a smile leads to laughter which is totally fun!

Smiles, giggles, and laughter fill your body with feeling good endorphins (healing energy). You and I definitely need more of that today with all the negative things surrounding us!

Quotes with a smile!

Resources

Christine Schuster. 40 Things That Will Make You Smile (theodysseyonline.com)
Lori Deschene. 51 Things That Will Make You Smile (tinybuddha.com)
Leo Widrich. The Science of Smiling & Why It’s So Powerful | Buffer Blog
Wiki Staff. 6 Ways to Make Someone Smile – wikiHow

Please leave a comment and tell me what makes you smile, fills you with joy, or what you believe might make someone smile!

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Writing, Inspiration