Want To Be Contagious? Simply Smile by Tiffany Jo Baker

by Rachael Adams | Jun 29, 2023 | The Love Offering Guest Blog Series

It was 4:34 AM, and I still couldn’t sleep. I grabbed the phone from my bedside, started scrolling, and soon found myself watching a series of videos on social media. The baby laughing at his daddy pretending to sneeze; the toddler strutting about after putting on her mother’s makeup; and the twin infants snuggled up next to each other, holding hands.

Despite the fact that I had barely slept all night and my alarm would be going off in just two short hours, without even realizing it, a smile soon overtook my face. It’s hard to be upset around happy babies. Their pure unhindered curiosity and joy are probably why studies show that most children smile 400 times a day, in stark contrast to one-third of adults smiling just 20 times a day.

Have you ever thought about the power of a simple smile? Want to change the atmosphere of a room or the disposition of a loved one? Smile. Smiling is contagious. It is difficult to return a smile with anything but a smile. It takes about 50 muscles working together to frown, yet just 13 to smile.

It is a simple and significant thing we all can do. Yet, you probably have your own reasons, like I do, why smiling isn’t always easy.

When did you last take some time to look back through your school yearbook? Don’t let the wide range of hairstyles and clothing trends take your focus; hone in on your smile.

There are stories behind every smile or lack thereof. You can clearly see the times when things were seemingly good and other times real life stole your smile.

While it is true that life circumstances and Satan are out to steal your smile, Jesus paid the price for you to live an abundant life, and there is something you can do to get it back (John 10:10).

Joy comes from being in the presence of God. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11 ESV).

Spending time with Him brings healing, hope, and direction. That is something to smile about.

So, today, friend, do you want to do a little experiment to brighten your corner of the world? Simply and strategically smile at everyone you come in contact with and see what happens.

About the Author:

Tiffany Jo Baker is a caffeinated mom of two teen girls, surrogate mom who has delivered five babies for three families dealing with infertility, proud dog-mom, and wife to an extreme outdoorsman. She is a podcast host, author, speaker, and strategizer who loves to uplift the soul and success of busy Christian women through mapping out simple strategies and small steps for them to birth their God-given dreams. She provides soul care, strategy sessions, communication workshops and purposeful products for communicators, ministry leaders and multifaceted mamas-at-heart who are walking out what God has called and created them to do online, at home, and in the real world.