Importance of a smile in hard times

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:46:15 +0000

By Sycorax T.Ndhlovu

One day, while walking around to see and hear what is happening around us, I saw a tall, nice looking, black in complexion; and therefore an attractive lady in a chitenge African traditional wear. She wore black short-heeled sandals which fitted well on her feet on a tall height.

Approaching her, I discovered that she was also wearing a gloomy face; probably as the usual perceived defensive mechanisms for some ladies to prevent some men from proposing love to them. Although she was wearing that gloomy face for such a reason, probably after seeing me coming in front of her, I didn’t plan to propose love to her! So smart and attractive was she that no man worth the name could fail to greet her; just to hear her voice and see her teeth behind her nice smile.

I wondered why such a well-dressed and attractive lady had such a seemingly depressed face as she walked away from her home; going to whatever destination. Despite her gloomy face, she walked steadily and majestically with her well-constructed, roundish pambuyo. With such style of walking away from me, I further wondered whether she was really preventing me from talking to her or that her face was portraying an opposite picture from her real purpose on being smartly dressed and walking from one place to another in public. Then, I asked myself: ‘Why did she wear smart looking clothes and appear attractive if she doesn’t want to be talked to?’ Or better still, if she knew that she was in hard times, why wear clothes that make one attractive to onlookers?

She would have worn a yellow or brown overall with a red pair of gum boots to suit a sad and uncomfortable situation she was demonstrating on her black in complexion face! Men and women still enjoying the gift of life from God should display their appreciation to God; the Creator by being happy at all times. Moreover, demonstrating happiness on your face at all times gives many advantages to a person doing so. Research has proved that laughing contributes to mitigating stress or potential psychological depression in human beings.

That a smile is half laughing, one is assured that by smiling regularly and whole-heartedly, one is reducing some stress or a potential psychological depression. Therefore, regularly, smile or laugh heartily. Peace of mind, through regular laughing and smiling, is part of good health. Just ignore some problems you are brooding in your minds. Always remember your good moments in your past. Then, your face will display happiness to all children, men and women around you. Men and women who wear miserable looking faces don’t know that by appearing sad or disgust from the effects of any socio-cultural, financial, political or legal situation in their mind, such people erode their natural beauty.

Therefore, a sustained smile on your face adds value to your natural beauty or to your attractive appearance which God gave you. Have you ever realised that anyone who smiles or laughs looks more attractive at that time than when one is annoyed? Or do you know anyone who looks hideous when he or she is laughing or smiling than when he or she is annoyed? However, sustained wearing of a gloomy face can be a product of not knowing what problems other people are facing. Some people perceive their personal or family problems to be worse than those of many other people. Take time to tactfully and systematically ask other men and women of different ages and backgrounds about what they are going through.

You might be surprised that what you think is a devastating problem on you or on your family, might actually be perceived trivial when you learn about what other people are going through. Remember that life has ups and downs. Problems in life come and go. Your problem today shouldn’t disturb you to implement plans to achieve your life’s goal. Take current problems are a passing phase. Therefore, when you feel something uncomforting, just smile at it. Tell that problem that you know that that is just a teething problem in your efforts to achieve great things in your life. To achieve such, good spouses play a comforting role. A good spouse knows when his or her life partner is uncomfortable.

Just by looking at her or at him, he or she is able to know that my spouse is not happy today. A good partner will quickly relax a troubled spouse. To relax your troubled spouse, a smile is a good starting point. Smile at him or at her. Tell your spouse that despite whatever challenges he or she is facing at that time or in his or her life, you still love him or her. Say so while smiling and touching her or him fondly. With a nice smile on your face, tell your spouse that with strong faith in God; The Creator; He (God) is there to guide both of you in addressing all your individual, marital or family problems.  Depending on a situation, a smile is a good treatment to all troubled minds. Look at medical doctors.

Do you see them panicking when a patient is ill or moribund? With a smile on their faces, professional medical doctors always tell a patient and those close to him or her that the sick will be okay soon. But this might not necessarily be the case. A smile on the medical doctor’s face gives hope to the patient and to those around him or her that after all, things are not as worse as perceived. Hence, regardless of your social, cultural, financial, legal or political situation, give hope to those around you. Don’t carry a message of doom on your face through appearing to be sad and fierce at all times like a wounded buffalo. If you are sad because you are facing financial challenges, who is not facing such challenges on Earth?

Financial hardships have hit majority citizens in any country for many years. As a result, this is not the first time a country like Zambia is experiencing economic hardships. At certain times of the year; especially when a government takes some fiscal or economic recovery policies, things might not necessarily be fine for some citizens. Some national economic recovery programmes might positively or negatively affect some people in a country. And if you and I are affected negatively, don’t be the first one to show that you are negatively affected by some national economic recovery policy implementation programmes. Showing that you are negatively affected by such economic hardships proves that, in the past, you didn’t strategically plan well to invest in some viable income-generating ventures. But that doesn’t exhibit the end of your life.

It is said that things happen for a purpose. Tell yourself that it’s good that such economic ills which have culminated into your and my financial hardships have revealed both our strengths and our weaknesses. One of the strengths is that you and I are still alive. So, be happy because such economic ills have generated some lessons for us. The socio-cultural, financial, political or legal challenges you and I might be facing are actually warning us to do more than we have done in the past. Therefore, instead of appearing vexed with such financial or whatever challenges you and I are facing, smile. Smiling will give us more capacity to think properly on how best to conquer the temporary hardships you and I might be facing.

Your minds will be too confused to address the current hardships while always in anger. Laugh at a challenging situation you are in. Visualise that challenge you are facing as a physical thing. Box it. Tell the challenge you are facing that victory over it is yours sooner than later. Smiling at challenges and approaching them with positive and victorious thinking will give you more energy, wisdom and will-power to be a champion in any psychologically depressing situation. Consequently, there is no need to wear a psychologically depressed face in front of different children, women and men with various ages, heights, body volumes and complexions around you. Instead, wear a smile on your face.

And who knows, probably the more you appear pleasant to men and women around you, the more some will be willing to help you with something you need most in that situation. Don’t completely lose hope in life. Believe in the power of God in all your challenges! Don’t spread your perceived socio-economic, financial or political challenges to many people around you. Suppress such feeling with positive thinking that everything is fine. If there is any perceived challenge on you or on your family, take such a situation as normal.

Therefore, smile at such a situations; and go on improving on your life for your better future. In short, whatever socio-cultural, economic, financial or legal situation you are in, be happy. Smile at all times. Prove that you are thankful to God that you are still alive; and with guidance from God, you are able to fight any obstacle in improving on your life. While smiling, always tell yourself that you, your family and those who support you will vanquish your perceived or real challenges sooner than later.

For ideas, comments and details, contact: Cell: 0977/0967 450151 E-mail:  HYPERLINK “mailto:sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk” sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk