18 Feb Smile and Be a Happy Camper

Smile and Be a Happy Camper

I want talk to you today about the power of a smile. My dear friend Lynn Noble is a speaker, artist and soon-to-be author of The Power of a Smile.

She and I were talking about kids, camp and the effect a smile can have on children, their lives and the various situations they encounter. I asked Lynn if she would mind providing us with some thoughts and ideas on things children can do when transitioning into new environments.

So here it is! I hope you enjoy her simple but powerful advice…

Remember what you felt like when you were a kid and had the freedom to do whatever it was that made you happy? You had one mission: to smile, find a friend, play and be happy.

I recently had the opportunity to relive that child-like experience. I was at an art show on Long Beach Island, when I happened upon a tent with incredible art made from driftwood. I was admiring the work when all of a sudden, I was greeted by this woman with a big, shining smile!

Immediately I smiled back as she blurted out, “Wow – You have a beautiful smile!” I instantly replied, “So do you!” Without even thinking she said, “We should be friends!” I again instantly replied with, “Yes, we should!” It was that easy!

I felt like I was transported back to the days when I was a kid facing an entire playground with no one to play with. It was sometimes a scary place, but I quickly learned that the easiest solution for me was to just walk up to another kid, smile and say, “Will you be my friend?” They would always reply, “Yes!” We would then run off into the sunset, playing on the monkey bars and swing set, without another thought. (We had a friend to enjoy our time with.) No stress of “What if I’m not good enough?” No worries of “Will they like me?” No judgement whatsoever – it was that simple!

Kids love to smile! They have this innate ability to just smile at anything and everything that makes them happy! They are innocent and non-judgmental. That is why people are so open and loving to kids!

Kids are easy to approach; they don’t have any agendas other than to be happy. Imagine if we would all become more like kids, we would begin to attract amazing people into our lives!

For some kids, going away to summer camp and making friends can be scary. Here are some tools kids can use to make the transition much easier…

SMILE
When you smile, you appear warm and friendly, which instantly makes people feel at ease. Smiles are contagious. When you smile you will most likely get a smile back!

APPROACH
Go up and say hello to someone. Don’t wait for others to come to you. Someone always has to be first. Be that person!

COMPLIMENT
The easiest way to make someone smile is to compliment them. You can always find something nice to say. This will make you feel good too!

ASK QUESTIONS
Always be prepared with a set of questions that will help you start conversations. People love to talk about themselves! You can have a lot of fun with this and come up with some really interesting questions!

LISTEN
Listen with a real interest and give your full attention. You will be amazed at how many similarities you will have with people that will help you relate to them.

SHARE YOUR STORIES
Talk about the things that are unique to you. People love to learn interesting new things. You will also inspire others to share even more!

BE YOURSELF
Show your true self. You don’t have to pretend to be something better than the amazing person you already are. People will gravitate towards that honesty!

Take these new tools and Smile, Find a Friend, Play and Be Happy!

This advice isn’t just for kids. We can all apply this in our daily lives. So, enjoy your day and keep smiling!