Children are amazing teachers for us in so many ways. When we’re young, we are uninhibited, curious, present, and beautifully, our true, full, selves.

Somewhere along the aging path, we learn to hide many of our authentic qualities based on society’s expectations or to meet the needs of others. We become more inhibited. We stop being curious and present. And sometimes we simply try to get through another day, often stressing about things that have happened or may happen in the future.

Last week I was on the bike path by myself and was struck by the discrepancy between the people who made eye contact with me as I rode by them (or not) and the degree to which these people were able (or willing) to share an authentic smile with me as we passed one another.

When someone did share an authentic, open, truly themselves smile, it was moving and beautiful. There is Joy and Beauty in an authentic smile, regardless of what a person looks like physically. I was actually moved every single time someone gave me a real smile.

When you pass someone and they give you a “polite smile”, there is absolutely no feeling in that smile. It is simply a courtesy. We’ve all done it and we’ve probably all seen it.

We also know what it feels like to give a fully open, vulnerable, loving smile if we’ve even laughed intensely or looked at something that has moved us deeply.

Action Step:

My challenge for you this week is to find your authentic smile.

It’s not the one many of us pose for pictures with but the one that moves us when we share it and makes us feel good about ourselves and everything else in that moment.

What you are likely to notice if you choose to accept this challenge is that:

• your real smile happens when you are fully present

• it feels good to smile from your heart (rather than from your lips)

• you will have an amazingly powerful impact on the people you’re willing to share your beautiful smile with