The power of a smile has been documented by authors and singers since time immemorial. When we feel great, a smile comes naturally. It’s an outward sign of joy, happiness, appreciation, amusement, excitement, or contentment. Scientists have found that smiling on purpose can help people feel better. Smiling on purpose changes brain chemistry. So it can be a big help to people who are dealing with depression and anxiety. In one study, researchers discovered that people who intentionally smiled, ended up feeling happy.

Ron Gutman, CEO of Health Tap wrote an interesting article called “The Untapped Power Of Smiling.”  He referenced a study which examined the smiles of students in an old yearbook, and measured their well-being and success throughout their lives. By measuring the smiles in the photographs, the researchers were able to predict how fulfilling and long lasting their marriages would be, how highly they would score on …
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There are big thanks, like when you run out of gas on the highway and an angel appears with a tank full of gas, and little thanks, like every time you check out at the convenience store.   In all cases, aren’t we trying to communicate that we appreciate whatever the person has done, whether it’s their job or not? What we sometimes forget to do when our mouths spit out “thanks” is to look the person in the eye to acknowledge their positive presence in our day.

For the big thanks, we might want to especially reinforce those unsolicited actions of a person who saved us from a minor or major catastrophe. In those instances, heartfelt words like “you are my hero” or following up with a hand-written note, if at all possible, can create a great topic at the dinner table for the receiver.  And we’ve all probably read …
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I chose joy!…
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Maya Angelou, an American poet, singer and civil rights activist, said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” If a student walks into a classroom and feels welcomed, they have a much greater likelihood of success simply because they know they are wanted which translates into being inspired to do well.

Claudia Cuddyer, of Chesapeake, Virginia has a fantastic reputation among the students she taught as evidenced by her words: “I’ve been fortunate enough to become friends with some of my former students and follow their lives into adulthood. I think something that shaped me as a teacher was the fact that when I began teaching, I was only about 5-6 years older than my students. The things that they were going through, emotionally and educationally, were so fresh in my …
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