“Smiling's my favorite.” This is one of those memorable quotes by Buddy the Elf. It’s also something that North Pole resident and I would agree on. I think one thing that people could say about me is that I smile. A LOT. I smile when I run. I smile when I eat food. I smile when I sing. I smile when I meet people. And I smile awkwardly when I find myself in awkward situations. Smiling is just my thing. And I guess some people might wonder why I smile so much or seem so joyful so often. The truth is, there are actually four reasons why I smile. Here are four uses of smiling:

1. To communicate love.

For me, touch is an important part of my showing affection to people. But it freaks a bunch of people out. So I guess smiling is a way for me to communicate my heart for someone without hugging them or trying to snuggle them to death. Smiling has become a way for me to tell people that I care about them and tell them that we are worth more than all the mean comments we get, all the beauty standards that are imposed on us (yes, both women AND men have beauty standards that are nonsense #beautyculture #masculinityculture), all the bad grades we receive, all the mistakes we’ve done, all the relationships that we’ve messed up and have messed us up, and basically everything that we think makes us ugly. So I guess smiling is my way of encouraging people. It’s my way of saying that you are confident, that you are courageous, that you can overcome whatever you are going through or are struggling with, that you are strong, that you are precious, and that you are loved.

2. As a coping mechanism.

Although I smile a lot, that doesn’t mean that I actually feel happy or great when I smile. Smiling has become a coping mechanism for me. It’s been a way for me to try to ease tension in conflict, show confidence and goodwill in awkward situations, communicate to someone that even though I may not agree with what they say or believe, that I still care about them, and to show that even when I feel insecure, not confident, or weak, that it’s going to be okay because God saves, heals, protects, and loves.

3. To make friendships.

So far, I think smiling has worked for me when it comes to making friends. I think that smiling tears down walls, eases tension, and communicates acceptance to people. Smiling shows people that you are happy and feel joy when they are around you. I think that if a friend of mine were to describe me, “Josh smiles a lot” would probably come up.

4. To have good stage presence.

In high school, I did choir and theatre. Something that made my performances better was having good stage presence. And that was partly manifested through my smiles. Smiling doesn’t only benefit people when they sing, act, or dance on stage. Having good stage presence helps you become a better public speaker also.