A smile costs nothing

A smile costs nothing, but it really can make such a difference to a person.

Consider doctors mumbling amongst themselves at the foot of a patient’s bed before moving on with their ward round without so much as a greeting or friendly smile, let alone praise or explanation.

Consider the loneliness of the city where, despite the crowded streets, everyone is on their phone, or head down and internalised as they race (or trudge miserably) to their next appointment.

A smile, someone once said, costs nothing but gives much.

It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give.

It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it.

Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.

Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

– Dale Carnegie, in How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age

We are not going to change the whole world, but we can change ourselves and feel free as birds. We can be serene even in the midst of calamities and, by our serenity, make others more tranquil. Serenity is contagious. If we smile at someone, he or she will smile back. And a smile costs nothing. We should plague everyone with joy. If we are to die in a minute, why not die happily, laughing?

– The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda

Let’s be truly present in every interaction. Let’s make eye contact and connect. Let’s keep our hearts open. Let’s smile at people – yes, even on the London Tube (even if it’s just to freak them out). Let’s spread joy. Little by little, we can make a difference.