You can go miles with smiles

"Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu.

When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling, too.

I passed around the corner, and someone saw my grin,

When he smiled, I realized I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth.

A single smile, just like mine, could travel 'round the Earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected — 

Let's start an epidemic quick and get the world infected!"

I found this little poem about the power of a smile and discovered that at least six people have taken credit for it, but it's worth sharing regardless.

I learned years ago that one of the most powerful things you can do to have influence over others is to smile at them. I'm a big believer in the Jewish proverbs "Don't open a shop unless you know how to smile" and "The man who gives little with a smile gives more than the man who gives much with a frown."  

That's why I never underestimate the value of a smile. It should be standard equipment for all people. You shouldn't come to work without a smile — and that goes for your personal life too.  

Smiling is so important that there is a month, week and day devoted to it. National Smile Month this year is May 13 to June 13, and National Smile Day is May 31. National Smile Week is always the second week in August.

Many people pay thousands of dollars for a facelift to improve their appearance. A smile improves your looks instantly and takes years off your appearance.

My mother used to always tell me that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve my looks. She also told me, "If you're happy, tell your face."

Everything seems much easier with a smile. Smiling is the universal language. People like smiles a lot more than frowns. 

Fourteen Foods operates more than 220 DQ Grill & Chill and Dairy Queen Braziers restaurants across several states, including Alabama, Florida and Wisconsin. The company is based in Bloomington, Minn., and its mission is to "build people and profits, one smile and story at a time." Their goal is to "support our communities, one red spoon and smile at a time." Restaurant employees are called smile servers.

Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, also knew the value of a smile. He used to ask his associates to raise their right hands and execute a pledge, keeping in mind that "a promise we make is a promise we keep."

The pledge: "From this day forward, I solemnly promise and declare that every customer that comes within 10 feet of me, I will smile at, look them in the eye, and greet them, so help me Sam."

I once found myself in a tense negotiation with a prospective client. Both sides had their demands, and the atmosphere was as stiff as a boardroom table. I knew I needed to break the ice to move things forward.

As we sat down, I noticed a small, whimsical figurine on the client's desk — a tiny, smiling frog. I pointed to it and said with a grin, "I see your secret weapon for negotiations is a smiling frog. I should have brought my own!"

This unexpected comment brought a smile to the client's face, and the tension in the room eased considerably. We both chuckled, and that small moment of shared humor set a positive tone for the rest of the meeting. The negotiations proceeded smoothly, and we reached a mutually beneficial agreement.

• • •

Mackay's Moral: Everyone smiles in the same language.

Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times bestseller "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive." He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com, by emailing [email protected] or by writing him at MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.