What Makes You Grin Like a Fool?

Quote from Thich Nhat Hanh

I've recently fallen in love with Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, and in his book, Being Peace he has much to say about the practice of smiling. In the first chapter I was touched by his poetic beauty:

LIFE IS FILLED with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders,such as the blue sky, the sunshine, and the eyes of a baby.To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders of life.They are within us and all around us, everywhere, anytime.

 An absolute yes to his insight. He suggests the following:

If a child smiles, if an adult smiles, that is very important. If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work....

 During walking meditation, during kitchen and garden work, during sitting meditation, all day long, we can practice smiling. At first you may find it difficult to smile, and we have to think about why. Smiling means that we are ourselves, that we have sovereignty over ourselves, that we are not drowned in forgetfulness.

Hmmm, drowned in forgetfulness, how easy to forget life's sacredness, our sacredness. I tried smiling as a practice yesterday, started by doing the things I love that make me grin like a fool: played with Yogini, blocked off 2 hours for writing, loved up my sweet husband, went for a run, did dishes with gratitude for the food grown by the hands of others for the sake of my nourishment, and you know what? I had a beautiful day--things flowed and my heart was light, softened so to speak. I became curious and I did a little research. Here's what the experts have to say about the benefits of smiling:

• boosts the immune system
• natural pain killer, stress reducer and mood enhancer by releasing endorphins which block pain perception and serotonin, our feel good hormone
• measurably reduces blood pressure and lowers heart rate
• increases productivity (we really should, "whistle while we work!")
• boosts the moods of others (it's contagious, 50% of people who see a smile will smile back)
• helps us live longer (one study showed people who smile readily and more often live 7 years longer!)

And, if you really want to pack a wallop while grinning like a fool, grab someone and give them a hug for ten seconds, this is said to reduce anxiety and stress by 70%. That's more effective than any of the pharmaceuticals out there! So, it seems wise Thich Nhat Hanh's got something going on with his smiling practice. Here's what I want to know--what makes you grin like a fool? Do it, do it now (and let me know your results)!