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Project Smile

September 24, 2010 By Deb Chitwood 20 Comments

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Alicia at A Beautiful Mess launched Project Smile to brighten our days as we move into fall and winter. On the last day of the month, Alicia will share the little things that make her smile, and she’s encouraging us to focus on the little things that make us smile as well.

Project Smile

Photo Credit: Lidya Nada

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).

I love Project Smile. It reminds me of Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts. It’s about noticing and being grateful for the small things in life.

For me, Project Smile means truly savoring things like time spent with family, Colorado’s 300 days of sunshine each year, Cheyenne Mountain in my neighborhood, the changing of the aspen leaves in the fall, hot tea and hot chocolate.

In Living Life as a Thank You: The Transformative Power of Daily Gratitude, a story from Renee Tilton tells of the lovely daily gratitude practice she learned from her father.

“I noticed that each morning after he went outside to get the newspaper, he stood for a few minutes quietly looking up at the sky and reflecting.” Renee says. “When I asked him what he was thinking, he said that he started his mornings by appreciating God’s beautiful creation and thinking, ‘This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.’”

Renee adds, “As I lock the front door as I’m leaving my house, I pause for a moment to thank God for my home and family, then I look up at the beautiful sky and thank Him for a wonderful day. It puts me in the right frame of mind to start each day.”

Project Smile goes along well with a study published in the British Medical Journal in September 2008.  Scientists from Harvard University and UC San Diego discovered a spread of happiness through social networks. In a study of almost 5,000 people over 20 years, they found:

Clusters of happy and unhappy people are visible in the network, and the relationship between people’s happiness extends up to three degrees of separation (for example, to the friends of one’s friends’ friends). People who are surrounded by many happy people and those who are central in the network are more likely to become happy in the future.

Their conclusion was:

People’s happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected. This provides further justification for seeing happiness, like health, as a collective phenomenon.

Mother Teresa would agree. Whether for inner peace or outer peace, Mother Teresa promoted the spread of happiness and smiles. She said:

Peace begins with a smile.

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Previous article: “Peace Begins with a Smile” Word-Art Freebie
Next article: “Dreams Do Come True” Word-Art Freebie

Filed Under: Happiness, Making a Difference Tagged With: A Beautiful Mess, gratitude, gratitude community, happiness, Living Life as a Thank You, Mother Teresa, Project Smile, smile, Thousand Gifts

Previous Post: « “Peace Begins with a Smile” Word-Art Freebie
Next Post: “Dreams Do Come True” Word-Art Freebie »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. icemom says

    September 24, 2010 at 6:44 am

    This is beautiful, Deb. I appreciate the reminder to be thankful.

    I also like the lesson of surrounding yourself with positive people. Happiness has a way of spreading that way!

    Reply
    • Deb Chitwood says

      September 24, 2010 at 5:46 pm

      Thanks for your kind comment, Ice Mom! It’s interesting that they’ve actually done 20 years of research to show that happiness spreads!

      Reply
  2. Aspiring Millionaire says

    September 28, 2010 at 3:09 am

    This is a fantastic idea. I love it. I do think in todays society we are not grateful/happy and we don’t tend to appreciate the little things that make us smile.

    I’ll be doing this. Thanks.

    I’m a new follower.

    Reply
    • Deb Chitwood says

      September 29, 2010 at 1:31 am

      Thanks so much for your comment and for following me! And thanks for helping spread positivity!

      Reply
  3. sue says

    September 28, 2010 at 7:22 am

    I am a new follower would love a follow back

    http://theseareafewofmyfavoritethings-sue.blogspot.com/

    Reply
    • Deb Chitwood says

      September 29, 2010 at 1:47 am

      Thanks for following me, Sue! I’m on my way to check out your blog now!

      Reply
  4. Carol says

    September 28, 2010 at 9:25 am

    I’m a new follower! Will you follow me?
    http://songberries.blogspot.com/2010/09/follow-me-back-tuesday_28.html

    Reply
    • Deb Chitwood says

      September 29, 2010 at 1:56 am

      Thanks for following me, Carol! I’ll check out your blog right away!

      Reply
  5. alicia says

    September 29, 2010 at 9:48 pm

    I’m getting a little emotional over here. YOU GET IT!! You are able to articulate exactly what this means to me. Thank you. I have always struggled expressing my inner thoughts and feelings and this is so perfect!! And not sure what I’d do with so much sunshine. lol.

    Reply
    • Deb Chitwood says

      September 29, 2010 at 10:14 pm

      Thanks, Lish! You do a great job of expressing your ideas. I’m so excited that you started Project Smile! We do get a lot of sunshine in Colorado – and it’s VERY ADDICTIVE!

      Reply
  6. jill conyers says

    September 30, 2010 at 3:47 am

    Great start to Project Smile!

    Reply
    • Deb Chitwood says

      September 30, 2010 at 1:36 pm

      Thanks for visiting and commenting, Jill! I LOVE Project Smile!

      Reply
  7. McKenzie says

    September 30, 2010 at 10:49 am

    I love Project Smile, and I loved your post! It’s such a great way to give back.

    Reply
    • Deb Chitwood says

      September 30, 2010 at 1:39 pm

      Thanks for your kind comment, McKenzie! I’m a real fan of Project Smile, too! It’s so much fun to have another way to spread happiness!

      Reply
      • McKenzie says

        September 30, 2010 at 3:14 pm

        You are very welcome!

        Reply
  8. Snowcatcher says

    September 30, 2010 at 1:52 pm

    I think this was one of the best Project Smile posts I’ve seen so far. I love your research. Plus, you’re in Colorado, and your name is Deb… What a find!!!

    Reply
    • Deb Chitwood says

      September 30, 2010 at 4:01 pm

      Thanks SO much for your kind comment! How cool that we have so much in common! My husband and I are going to Vail Saturday to enjoy the autumn scenery – that’ll bring many more smiles!

      Reply
  9. SomeGirl says

    September 30, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    A cheerful heart is good medicine… love this reminder to focus on the positive (and smile)! 🙂

    Reply
    • Deb Chitwood says

      September 30, 2010 at 11:15 pm

      Thanks, Michelle! I love the way you spread Project Smile naturally every day!

      Reply

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