Can you just imagine if we woke up every morning to this picture in the sky?  Wouldn't it just put an instant smile on your face?  I know it sure would mine!

I am sure there is a ton of scientific research out there to argue this question either way, but in my opinion, smiling is extremely contagious.  According to the bit of research I have done, this happens because of "mirror neurons, which are brain cells that fire when we perform an action and also when we observe the same action performed toward us."  This was taken from Vive Organic.  Researchers have found that "speakers smiled more when listeners smiled, especially in same-sex interactions, indicating that mutual smiles foster warmth and comfort", according to neuroscience.com.  In the same article, with the source being from Fujita Health University, "Smiling during conversations creates warmth, making people feel more comfortable and connected. For example, a friendly smile when meeting someone new can ease nervousness".  I found this to be very true and agreeable.  

In my humble opinion, I don't think there needs to be any scientific research to prove whether or not smiling is contagious; it just is.  I mean, let's face it, we are not going to win everyone over with our smiles, but it sure is hard not to return it, even if it's fake, when someone smiles at us first.  And don't even get me started on when we see our best friends, I think that's a whole article in itself! :)

My husband always jokes with me, saying, "You smile at babies, and I smile at dogs".  This is very true because just the very sight of babies and dogs should be enough to make everyone smile!   Even our dog, Geno, loves to smile, especially when he's at the beach.

Smiling can go a long way.. you smile at a stranger, and this makes them smile.  So they pass it on to the next stranger, and so forth and so on.  It's a win-win situation! 

I want to give a shout out to Jacob's Musical Chimes, their musical car chimes make me so happy :)  If you are looking for an awesome gift for a friend or sibling or just about anyone who you want to make smile, I highly recommend them.  We just recently added the butterfly, mermaid, and daisy car chimes to our offerings.

So go out there and smile at a stranger, it may just turn their terrible day into a happy day! 

https://www.vecteezy.com

 Title picture courtesy of https://www.welcometomonarchlanding.com/blog/smiling-is-contagious/