Tag: smile

10 Free and Simple Things You Can Do Today to Make Somebody Smile

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As a general rule, I will pretty much do whatever it takes to elicit a good laugh out of somebody.  I’ve been known to do things like what you’re seeing in this picture for pretty much my whole life.  This particular instance was because my dear friend Julia, who you see in the background about to wet herself, was having a rough day and I took it upon myself to do what I could to make it better.  As you can see, it worked pretty well.  Now, please don’t get me wrong here.  I’m not suggesting that in order to make the world around you a lighter place you need to Scotch tape your face.  In fact, I don’t recommend it.  If I remember correctly, it really hurt to pull that shit off my eyebrows.  What I am suggesting, is that there is literally ALWAYS something that you can do to brighten up somebody’s day, and it takes such little effort.  Read on to discover 10 easy ways you can bring a little positive flair to somebody’s day starting now!

1.  Smile

Yep, legit the easiest way to help another person experience some joy in their lives is to smile at them.  You weren’t born with that beautiful visage for nothing!  Put what yo’ Mama gave you to good use by sharing it with the world.  You’ll most certainly inspire the recipient to do the same.

2.  Listen

Your ears…also there for a reason (other than being able to jam out to some really good tunes while lead-footing it down the interstate).  How often do you feel like nobody’s listening to you?  Sometimes all it takes is slowing down long enough to truly hear another person that will leave them beaming from ear to ear.

3. Crack a Joke

Sometimes life gets messy and really serious and it’s hard to see beyond the chaos that’s happening in the moment.  Dropping a relatively stupid and well-intentioned joke can be just the medicine to remind another person that this too shall pass and it’s okay to laugh.

4. Write a Letter

Let’s just be honest…it’s freaking awesome to get an ACTUAL letter in the mail.  Seriously, I’m just going to own it…my husband and I literally race each other down the driveway if we happen to both be home when the mail carrier comes.  90% of the time we find ourselves inundated with junk mail and bills we don’t want to open, but every once in a while there’s an unexpected letter and it’s like Christmas morning!  It feels good to know that people are thinking of you even though they might not be around.

5. Compliment Them

I’m not talking some sideways compliment solely intended to instill a feel-good factor.  I don’t do bullshit and I would recommend you avoid it too.  People see right through that and if they smile, it’s probably a bit of bullshit back at you.  No, I’m talking a real, genuine compliment that comes from your heart and reminds the person receiving it that they are valued.  One or two kind words can go a very long way in changing the course of somebody’s day.

6. Tempt Their Tummy

Why?  Um…because FOOD!  Yes, because FOOD is amazing and delicious and it makes people feel full and when people feel full of yumminess their brains send off little, happy signals all throughout the rest of their bodies and that makes them smile.  Also, because when you give people delicious food, they will feel compelled to share and that will make you smile too.

7. Random Acts of Kindness

There is something so incredibly gratifying about anonymously performing an act of kindness.  Donate your old towels to an animal shelter, leave your unused coupons somewhere the next guy might find them or let somebody merge into your lane of traffic even though you are in a rush (preferably without flipping them the bird).  These simple acts can help to change somebody’s day and who knows…they might even pay it forward.

8. Be True to Yourself

Believe it or not, one of the best ways you can make somebody smile is by owning yourself unapologetically.  People want to live out their own dreams, and when they see somebody else doing it, it’s a reminder that it’s possible for them too.  Why do you think those videos of human beings picking up cars and jumping from rooftop to rooftop trend so hard on social media?  Uh, because it’s freaking awesome, duh!  I’m not suggesting that you should attempt to walk on fire or swim the English Channel in nothing but your Speedos (unless that’s your thing), but embrace what makes you unique and let it shine.  People love to smile at that stuff!

9. Make Them Something

Again, people like to see other people doing what makes them happy.  When you are being creative, you are expressing yourself by doing something that makes your heart sing.  Passing this expression onto another person is like saying, “Hi, this is a big chunk of my heart that makes me super happy to create.  Would you like a piece of it?  Maybe it will make your heart smile, too.”  I mean, that’s a pretty awesome thing to share!

10. Scotch Tape Your Face

Well, c’mon…it works!  I mean, go back and take a look at that picture.  The girl is legit about to fall out of her chair.  Mission accomplished!  If all else fails, you always have this to fall back on.

Now that you know a few really, excruciatingly easy ways to spread some joy, get off your buns and go do it!   None of this takes money, a college degree, an abundance of creativity, or even very little energy.  All it takes is the genuine desire to share some love and make the world a better place, one smile at a time.  Go get ’em.

If you’d like to inquire about one-on-one coaching with me, please fill out the form below to reach out.  I will do my best to get back to you within the next 24-hours.

The Art of Loving Yourself

Jillian Arena

Who are You Comparing Yourself To?

When you stop and think about it, we spend an awful lot of time judging ourselves.  We compare ourselves to our friends, family members, classmates, or acquaintances.  We look around and wish that we had better hair, a thinner waist, bigger breasts, or a prettier smile.  Where does this get us?  What have we accomplished at the end of the day when we look in the mirror?  Have we managed to successfully change the texture of our hair, lose 40 pounds around the middle, enhance the size of our chest, or alter our most beautiful attribute, our smile?  Unless we happened to be doing all of this judging on a day when we had some big procedure scheduled, the short answer here is no.  It is a complete and utter waste of time and brain power.  In fact, all we are really doing when we judge ourselves is feeding into the false belief that we are not enough.  The most ironic part about it is that the people we are comparing ourselves to are likely doing the same thing to themselves.  It’s a ruthless and neverending cycle that gets us nowhere.  So, who are you comparing yourself to?

Why Does it Matter?

Get up right now and go look in the mirror.  No really, go…like NOW!  Investigate the face, the body and the personality staring back at you and notice what comes up.  Where do your thoughts go?  Do you hone in on the pimple that decided to grace you with its presence this morning, the three gray hairs that miraculously appeared out of nowhere, or the bags under your eyes?  Maybe your mental chatter starts to tell you that you look okay and then that distinct voice of your inner critic comes in to remind you that you snort when you laugh or you talk too loudly.  Listen very closely to the internal dialogue that’s taking place.  What are you telling yourself about yourself?  If you find yourself singing your praises, I congratulate you!  Well done.  If, on the other hand, you find yourself spiraling into a vortex of slinging insults at your poor, unsuspecting mirror-image, take a deep breath and think about something.  Imagine for a moment that it’s your mother, or your sister, or your very best friend standing in front of you.  Would you say those things to her?  Would you call her out on her blemish or remind her that she is a beautiful person?  Would you whip out a box of hair dye or not even notice?  Would you ask her to laugh so you could make fun of her snort or go on snorting right alongside her?  Chances are good that you would probably just love her, support her, and completely overlook those things that she might fault herself for.  Why can we do it for others, but not for ourselves?  We need to be championing ourselves as much as we do for others and when we can’t do that we are hurting the very fabric of our being.  The fact is that we are all uniquely beautiful and special and talented and fierce in the perfect combination.  When we can’t learn to see that, we are perpetuating the idea that nobody is ever good enough, so we aren’t even just hurting ourselves anymore, but all that we interact with.  When we can embrace ourselves, good, bad, and ugly, however, we create space to allow others to do the same!

What Happens When You Learn to Accept?

If you know me today, you probably don’t think of me as a person who is shy or holds back much.  The truth, however, is that I went through a very long time where I couldn’t stand myself.  I was constantly scrutinizing, comparing, and wishing that things were different.  After I had my children and my body changed, I got even worse!  What had they done to me????  Why was there no warning???  Where had my body disappeared to?  Slowly and gradually I learned to shift my perspective.  Instead of seeing my lack of a six-pack, I looked to my children and found gratitude that I had been lucky enough to carry them.  Instead of seeing my gray hair as an impending sign of doom, I chose to focus on the joy of the moment and use them as a reminder that each second counts.  Where I once saw lines around my eyes, I began to see a lifetime full of laughter.  The creases around my mouth became a memory of so many smiles and frowns…a remembrance of the full breadth of my ability to feel.  The worry lines at my brow have now become a reminder of my strength and resilience as I’ve learned to navigate situations that I didn’t know if I would ever get through.  The freckles and uneven skin tone, a beautiful expression of all of the days I have been lucky enough to dance under the sun.   In short, I have learned to love myself, and the freedom that has come with it is the biggest gift!  You can do it for yourself as well!

It Starts Small…

As with anything in life, start small!  Starting today, focus on one thing that you really, really, really like about yourself.  It might be your crooked smile, the color of your eyes, your flawless complexion, or even your contagious laughter!  If you have no idea where to start, ask a friend what your best attribute is.  Start with that and love it so fiercely that nothing could stop you.  Everytime you pass by a mirror stop and adoringly describe to your reflection how much you love that one thing about it or pause after every giggle and thank yourself for the beautiful sound of it.  Do this for a week and notice what happens.  You’ll likely find that during this process other parts of you begin to look a bit more appealing as well.  Start to give those a shout-out too!  Keep this process going, adding on one new physical attribute or personality trait each week and before you know it, you’ll be staring back at a much more confident, whole, happy individual.  You are different, and that’s the best thing about you.  Embrace those things that set you apart instead of wishing they were something else and you are FREE from the judgment of the world around you.  Sounds pretty good, right?  Awesome, so stop reading this, get off your bum and go find a mirror!  Your newfound confidence awaits!  Once you’ve got it fully intact, CLICK HERE to use it to build the life of your dreams!

Jillian Arena is a Certified Transitional Life Coach, RYT-200, and Reiki Practitioner.  She uses her training in each to help her clients around the globe achieve maximum clarity, happiness, and possibility out of life!  For more on working with Jillian, visit her website HERE.