The other morning I stopped for a hot chocolate at the drive through of Tim Horton’s. It was early, and the line-up was unusually long. By the time I got to the window for my single cup of hot chocolate I was more than a little annoyed at the waiting time. The glass door lifted, and there to greet my frowning face was a young lady with a sincerely friendly smile and a cheery, "Good morning, sir. Here is your hot chocolate. That will be $1.24 please."

I couldn’t help myself. Despite how I felt, my face broke into a smile with an equally friendly, "Thank you." I took my hot chocolate and left.

As I steered my car onto the highway to continue my trip, I realized just how much I owed to that young lady. Her smile completely turned my mood around. Instead of storming out of the parking lot in a horrible frame of mind, I took my time and carefully took my place on the road. "Thank you" just didn’t seem to express my gratitude to that person who had given me much more than just a cup of hot chocolate.

For the next hour of my ride home I spent a lot of time thinking about how rarely we give much thought to how often we smile. Even those of us who are fairly positive may walk around with a frown on our face more often than we'd like to think.
  
How about you -- do you frequently smile? You'll notice that when you smile, you feel better physiologically. Go ahead and smile right now. I'll bet you got a warm feeling inside your body and your spirits were lifted, just by smiling. Isn't it incredible that you can get that much of an impact from a smile?
  
For the next few days, I want you to pay attention to your facial expression. Whenever you think about it, just practice smiling! If you're on line in a store, smile. When you pass co-workers in the hall, smile. When you're sitting by yourself, or talking on the phone, smile! It will lift your mood and get you focused in a positive direction. And, it will cost you nothing.
  
There are a lot more benefits that come from smiling. You'll find that you interact better with other people. First of all, when you smile, other people tend to smile right back. They mirror your facial expression. In addition, people will look forward to speaking with you, and they'll be more inclined to assist you when you have a smile on your face.
  
Of course, you must be sincere when you smile. You don't have to show off every one of your teeth or look goofy. Just a natural smile.
  
If you develop the habit of smiling often, you're going to feel a lot better, be more optimistic and gain the cooperation of others. It's well worth the effort.