As stubborn as I am (and I am), I do occasionally listen to advice. Sometimes, I even follow it.
I have a friend; the best sort of friend who doesn’t hide behind platitudes and sentimentality when it comes to offering advice. She once accused me of not smiling enough. Admittedly, this from a person whose smile beams Jedi mind tricks unto those that come across it (“Yes, of course I’ll give you a new laptop”, “Why yes of course I’ll cancel my other meetings to discuss your priorities”, etc). But I took the advice onboard nonetheless.
This evening, had I uttered the phrase “Excuse me mate, but could you move down a bit please – it’s a little cramped in here” to the flustered looking man on a packed underground train with an angry scowl on my face, he may well have continued to stand his ample ground. Said with a smile on my face, he shuffled up and several other commuters also smiled with relief.
A smile gets me a free cake in Costa Coffee, a meeting room when there are none and an upgrade to first class on a stupidly busy train at cheap weekend rates for me and a few friends when it’s not the weekend.
A smile can stave off anger; it can bring onboard those who may otherwise oppose; it can influence when faced with a level of stubbornness mirroring my own.
I’ve not traditionally been an outwardly sentimental person, but it’s funny how a smile doesn’t only brighten my own day.
And I get free cake.