“Smile and the world smiles with you”  – Stanley Gordon West

This post might not be agreeable to everyone, and that’s okay.

I’m basing my views below on years of experience as both an instructor and a fitness junkie.

To start, how do YOU feel when someone tells you to “smile” (when it’s not for the purposes of taking a picture)?

Let’s say outside of the group exercise class arena then; for instance, when you’re walking down the street, at a family function or even in line at Starbucks and someone says that.

Personally, I can’t stand it.

I smile a lot. I use a hot TON of facial expressions actually (which, for someone obsessed with skincare as I am, is a NO NO). I don’t want anyone TELLING ME to, though.

When I discuss this with newer fitness instructors or mentees, I say to “coax it out of people instead.”

Be so fun… or funny… or ??? that people can’t help but smile.

And if they don’t? That’s FINE too.

Don’t take it personally.

I have taken and taught classes during some of the roughest periods (and days) of my life (i.e., medical issue, pet passing, etc.). I’ve cried my way through classes (more times than I care to think of) as the TEACHER.

The hardest thing to do sometimes, is to muster enough strength to get dressed and go to the gym. Some days…a LOT of days, it’d be easier to stay at home. Or even at work.

For many people though, and myself included, exercise is a form of THERAPY. We do it TO feel better.

But I’ll be damned if I want someone (in public…on a microphone) to tell me, on my lowest of days, that I need to smile through it.

There are a lot of people in my classes who feel the same. I can count on 2 hands the number of women that come that are recently widowed. It would take all my hands, feet and another person’s to count the number of regular students that told me they are dealing with depression.

In a way, commanding that someone smile is like someone telling you to “calm down” when you’re (obviously) not calm for (probably) good reason.

If you’re not smiling, it’s also probably for good reason.

Even if you have “RBF”! Maybe you don’t want wrinkles! (Ok, ok I kid)

Be the reason someone decides to smile…on their own…even if it’s inside…

—

Love you!