2 things you definitely “HAVE” to do – 

We all want to add value right? In fact, we think our value is based on the value we add to others. We advise, we help, we write, we motivate, we work, we coach, we do things to add value. To what or whom differs from person to person. Sometimes we add value to people, sometimes to companies, sometimes to ourselves, sometimes to nature, sometimes to science, etc. We are all super busy and tied up trying to add value all the time. However, no matter what else we do – there are 2 things that we absolutely (and I very rarely use the next word) have to do no matter what else we do. Those are:

(Hold you breath…)

BREATHE and SMILE!

That’s it! They look very simple. But there’s more to it.

• When you breathe well, you get better oxygen supply – which keeps your mind fresh and away from negativity. 
• When you breathe well, you tend to be more calm and peaceful. When you are undergoing too many emotions or anger and want to get a hold of yourself – simply try getting your breathing back to normal – and see how magically your emotional state improves. 
• When you breathe well, you physically stay healthy too. 
• When you breathe well, you feel free. You easily let go. And you will be good at letting others live freely too.

Methods to breathe well can be anything. But breathe you must. This is the most important function of the human body and the least paid attention to, unfortunately. It is mostly on auto-pilot mode. Actually, thank God for it. Else, most of us have died long back. We’d have either gotten lazy, or too engrossed in something else, or “busy” like most of us say these days. Earlier, the response to – “How are you” was, “I am fine, thank you”! Nowadays, it has changed to – “I am busy”! Anyways, that’s for another day!

The second thing – Smile. I have no idea why that is so under-rated. Achievement, success, marriage, procreation, buying houses, cars – everything is given importance. But not the basic, most important aspect – which is smiling! Your smile can make a hopeless man find hope. Your smile can make an unloved man feel acknowledged. Your smile can stop someone from killing themselves. Your smile can relieve someone’s stress. Your smile can give a reason for someone to live. Your smile can actually give you a reason to live too. Your smile can reduce your stress, your sorrows, your monkey business and give you a bright day! And we don’t emphasise enough about it! How ironic. We are so busily going about life with such an air of seriousness, as if we were going to live forever. I don’t know which movie it was – but I loved this dialogue which said something like – “No matter how seriously you take life, you aren’t going to walk out of it alive anyway!” So true! Isn’t it? We have time for everything. But we don’t have time to smile. Our faces look more constipated than ever! We missed the point somewhere! What are we trying to do all this for? To be happy, isn’t it? Then why are we doing everything possible under the sun but not smiling?

Your smile can actually light up someone’s day! Even without you knowing it. So, don’t under-rate it. About 10 years ago, I was once going somewhere and I noticed a garbage truck. I saw a young boy in it – standing amidst the garbage and collecting garbage and dumping it in the truck as it moved. All of us was closing our nose as we inched closer to the garbage truck. But this boy, standing inside the garbage truck, amidst garbage, was singing a song with a big broad smile on his face. I can never forget that visual. It had a profound impact on me. If he could smile despite all that, why was I sitting gloomily, looking out of the car? Watching him smile filled my heart with a strange sense of compassion and happiness. I smiled too. I was filled with admiration for that guy who brightened my day with his smile! Wherever he is, whatever he’s doing – I’ll always remember him for being a huge inspiration and wish that he’s happy and well!

That happy person with an unforgettable impact could be you too! And you don’t necessarily have to be traveling in a garbage truck to be noticed for your smile. Your smile will be noticed no matter where you are, and what you do! 

Also, did you know – that smiling reduces nervousness and increases confidence? Did you know that smiling gets you in to the present. Fears, anxieties, etc can happen only when you thinking of your past or your future. If you are smiling, you get to be fully in the present and in awareness. 

One word of caution – this doesn’t mean you have smile 24/7 no matter what. Take your down time, if something went wrong, it’s okay to cry, it’s okay to feel bad. It’s okay to experience other emotions too. But don’t dwell in them for too long. Don’t brood about your past or your future. On a normal given day, grab every reason to smile – when you meeting someone, greeting someone, acknowledging someone or anything. Wake up smiling, and go to sleep with a smile!