When we are waiting in line at the supermarket checkout counter and we see an adorable toddler in a stroller, what do we instinctively do? We smile at the little guy or gal, right? Why? Well, it just happens naturally. What usually occurs next? Our smile becomes an invitation for interaction, and the toddler is now smiling back, holding up his warn out teddy bear for us to admire, and showing off the box of animal crackers that he wangled from his parent. He is beaming right back at us, and we are having such an enjoyable interaction, that we almost forget to put our groceries up on the counter.
Don’t we wish it could be that easy to smile and interact with an adorable adult on the checkout line? Well, actually, it can be. Our smile is simply an invitation for interaction, nothing more. Why do we hesitate to use it? Some of my coaching clients and workshop participants seem to feel that smiling at someone they don’t know is too forward, it makes them uncomfortable, and so it is not in their repertoire whether they are in the supermarket or at a Singles’ Event.
Let’s learn to define a smile differently. A natural smile is not a commitment of any kind, nor is it a declaration of love. It can be offered with no further obligation attached. Yet, it has the enormous power to connect us to others wordlessly. So, let’s make a conscious effort to share our smiles more freely and easily. Just like with the toddler, an interesting and attractive adult will probably return the smile and find a way to further the interaction, showing you the magazine in his hand instead of the ratty teddy bear or the newest organic snack in her cart instead of the animal crackers. You may find yourself so absorbed, that you forget to put your groceries up on the check-out counter. Let me know how it goes…