Don’t worry, I am not jumping on a woke bandwagon and becoming a hippie! But it really is World Smile Day today, so I may as well use my team’s marketing calendar for a bit of timely content!
If you read to the end, I will have delivered my master plan for smiling 365 days a year, not just today!
The Origins of World Smile Day
If you are wondering, World Smile Day (WSD) came off the back of the universally known ‘Smiley Face’ that was created in 1963 by the artist Harvey Ball in Massachusetts, USA. (I am not sure how someone can take credit for inventing a smiley face, but Google tells me it’s true, so let’s go with it!). After what Harvey felt was the loss of meaning and over-commercialisation of his symbol, he decided that dedicating a day each year to acts of kindness to each other was the answer. So, in 1999, WSD was created, and it has taken place on the first Friday of October ever since.
Redefining Success: Personal Happiness
While the purpose of the day is to make other people smile, I want to use this talk about making yourself smile and happier. After all, if you can’t be happy yourself, how can you be expected to make others happy? My primary definition of success is personal happiness. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or how many awards you have won; if you aren’t happy most of the time, then you have lost the game of life.
“Maximising personal happiness doesn’t conflict with increasing collective happiness,” Thomas Jefferson
For the purposes of easy writing (I am an investor, not JK Rowling after all!) I am going to merge smiles and happiness into the same idea and context.
Happiness Across Generations: A Brief Dive
Here are some fun facts that we can take some lessons from:
- Happiness is hereditary and is strongly associated with personality traits. People high in extraversion and low in neuroticism are generally happier. (I guess that prompted the expression ‘don’t worry, be happy!’)
- Changing your environment to manifest more positive experiences and better handle negative experiences will amplify the effects of any inherited happiness.
- Finland is the happiest country in the world, and the UK is 17th.
- There is no significant difference between the happiness scores of men and women. (Despite what a few married couples may have to say about that statistic!)
- Happiness correlates with workplace success, and happy employees are more likely to have a higher salary than unhappy employees.
- About half of people will smile back at you if you smile at them.
- Smiling makes a person more approachable.
- Babies are naturally born with the ability to smile.
- Smiling is a stress reliever.
So, what drives our happiness?
- For Gen Z’s, it is video games and digital relationships.
- Millennials get their happiness from growing a healthy family.
- Gen X gets it from wealth, security, and their children’s well-being.
- Boomers’ ability to support their loved ones.
Relationships: The Cornerstone of Happiness
So, what are the key takeaways from this that we can implement to improve our happiness and grow our businesses? (Other than that, moving to Finland could cheer you up!)
- Relationships are key. If you look at all the responses from different generations, the common theme that drives happiness for all of them is their relationships. Whether online or offline, with family or with friends, their relationships are integral to their overall happiness. I could write a whole book on relationships, never mind just a section of a newsletter! I have built my whole career on the back of relationships with incredible people who bring so much value to my life. Yes, value is often in monetary terms, but also in terms of joy, support, mentorship, and more. Build relationships with great people, and you will be lifted up. Surround yourself with twats, negative people, and those without good intentions, and you will find yourself down at their level in no time.
- Just like when you smile, 50% of people will smile back; if you do good deeds, they will be repaid in spades. I actually think the reality is that you will be working with a much higher percentage of people than 50%. That stat is based on the global population, so it includes all the dick heads too! As an avid reader of this newsletter, you already know how to select great people to be in your life, so I am sure the reciprocity ratio will be greatly increased with your fantastic selection of relationships! In a similar vein, people usually want to be helpful and good citizens. So, if you need something, then just ask! You will usually be pleasantly surprised by a testimonial, a referral, an introduction, or a piece of advice. Don’t sit there wondering how you are going to get it; open your mouth (with a smile!) and ask!
- Worrying doesn’t help. Worrying makes you unhappy, and worrying makes you stressed. There is simply nothing productive about it. That doesn’t mean you should be careless, unplanned, or disorganised, but when you have done everything right and there is nothing more you can do, worry will not add any value to the process. Most of what we worry about in life doesn’t happen anyway, so spend your time positively working on the things you can control and banish any worry about things you can’t control from your mind.
Happiness: A Pursuit Within Control
The definition of happiness has shifted over time from circumstances outside of our control (such as fortune and good luck) to something that can be controlled and actively pursued.
The Power of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’
I believe there are two simple words that, when used correctly, will allow you to control and pursue happiness, maximising the smiles in your life. Yes and No.
YES
Say YES to as many opportunities as you can. Don’t overthink it; don’t pour over the negatives; just go for it. You will learn new things. Have new experiences. Build new relationships. And it’s like a snowball—the snowball of happiness! One great experience often leads to the next. One great relationship usually introduces you to many more. One new learning experience opens your mind to whole new worlds. YES! YES! YES!
NO
But as much as you want to say yes, don’t be afraid to say NO to anything that doesn’t add value and move you forward. Time is wasted with people you don’t really want to spend time with. A job that makes you miserable and teaches you nothing. Negative family members that don’t support your dreams. Say NO!
I have a simple methodology for correctly choosing yes or no when presented with opportunities, requests, and questions. If it isn’t a HELL YEAH!, then it’s a no. It’s that simple. I have a very open mind, always ready to say YES where I can. But if there is hesitation about the potential greatness of the outcome, I simply say NO and leave my time available for things that are really going to move the happiness dial.
Conclusion: Driving Down Regrets
Statistically, 80% of people lay on their deathbed regretting their choice of marital partner, education, and career. Let’s work on driving that number down! Use World Smile Day as the kick-start you need to say ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ to the right choices towards your happiness.
If you want to create happiness, follow your dreams and become a success join my private business coaching – enquire today and find out how I can help.
