A smile is powerful. It feels good and does amazing things for your mind and body.

I smile a lot. I particularly enjoy smiling at my girls when I look at them throughout the day and what do I always get in return? A sweet smile.

I smile while running errands. I smile at strangers, my friends and co-workers. I even smile to myself as I am driving. The best thing about smiling is how contagious it is. My smiles are nearly always met with a smile in return. I can only hope that people enjoy them as much as I do. I know they’ve often picked me up when I needed it the most.

Smiling gives me energy throughout my day. In fact, I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t smile. I know it is not physically possible for me to ever stop.

And, just as I thought: smiling is healthy. In this seven minute TED talk, Ron Gutman speaks to all of the benefits of smiling including age longevity, positive endorphins and even how one simple smile can stimulate your brain as much as eating 2,000 bars of chocolate can. Wow. There areĀ all kinds of benefits from smiling.

The photo above is me and my little one. We love to smile. When we are really happy, our smiles are so wide that we crinkle up our noses. I love simple moments like this and I love smiles.

Smile more. It can be an effective and fun way to stop in a moment, be present and enjoy it.