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.
Photo Credit: Lidya Nada
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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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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!
Thanks for your kind comment, Ice Mom! It’s interesting that they’ve actually done 20 years of research to show that happiness spreads!
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.
Thanks so much for your comment and for following me! And thanks for helping spread positivity!
I am a new follower would love a follow back
http://theseareafewofmyfavoritethings-sue.blogspot.com/
Thanks for following me, Sue! I’m on my way to check out your blog now!
I’m a new follower! Will you follow me?
http://songberries.blogspot.com/2010/09/follow-me-back-tuesday_28.html
Thanks for following me, Carol! I’ll check out your blog right away!
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.
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!
Great start to Project Smile!
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Jill! I LOVE Project Smile!
I love Project Smile, and I loved your post! It’s such a great way to give back.
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!
You are very welcome!
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!!!
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!
A cheerful heart is good medicine… love this reminder to focus on the positive (and smile)! 🙂
Thanks, Michelle! I love the way you spread Project Smile naturally every day!