Have you ever tried the smile test? This is best done when you are feeling joyful, as the frowns or funny looks can be disheartening, but every time I’ve done the smile test on a better day (I have depression), I generally get a smile back, or encourage even a little hope in someone’s eyes, who may have felt otherwise down.
The best thing about the smile test is that when you already feel uplifted and send a smile someone’s way, it doesn’t matter if you don’t get a smile back, because it is the kindness in the gesture that counts. We will never know if we were the hope that someone needed to make it through the day. We can all make a difference.
Seriously, it works to bring hope because sometimes I’ve been out walking when I’m feeling down, and someone has smiled at me, and it brings me back to the moment and into gratitude. We have so much to be grateful for.
