Smiles and laughs half the stress

The best thing, the best unique defining quality of us humans is the smile. And with equal measure too, the laugh as part of our nature is also definitive of what we are and why we are so unique in the animal kingdom - and survive without forseable extinct. These two qualities alone, although they are not, by default, traits, truly keep us going and safeguard us from exploding, what with all the rage and stress that swirls inside us sometimes. So make sure you treat these two qualities today as best as they do deserve to be treated. Use them.

The obvious dawned on me the other evening after my area had gone without water for more than 30 hours, and as if that was it, electricity just dimmed out - there we were in the middle of the most powerful capital city in Africa without the basics: water and lights. We were reduced to the dark ages, as one neighbour put it: "back to those days again hah." And with him, my wife and I chuckled, finding the whole situation funny. We laughed at ourselves that we live in the capital of South Africa in a 'lifestyle estate' (so the sales pamphlets claim - I still need pratical proof), but alas, no basics.

My point is simple: take time, during difficult situations, to step back and laugh at the whole thing for a moment will you. And as everybody around you is stressing and falling into instant, but self-induced depression, smile at them. Offer them a free smile and watch what happens. The whole situation starts to look different.

Take time to smile and to laugh. That's the best medicine for so many inner human malices. When you smile, you're turning a frowned or otherwise indifferent face in to a beautiful emotion mirror. That emotion will be reflected in the person you are in contact with. It's reciprocal. And if not, smile anyway, it does your heart and face good.

Laugh. Laugh and laugh a lot. Laugh silly at the problems that you have. Not that laughing as a natural process will naturally wipe away the tears or the problem. But can you honestly tell me that it doesn't make it seem smaller or make the mood lighter! For me it does. Laugh with those around, you're flexing your heart's muscles when you laugh. You're exciting it.

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I love smiles: Pricessless quality

I wake up later than I plan to each morning - and yes, I'm working harder on kicking that lifetime nasty habit. But I'm sure I'm not a soloist in what I presume to be a worldwide habit. Having woken up, following uncountable alarm re-schedules, I just feel irritated at my bad habit. I forced to rush everything (thank God for showers) and walk out without breakfast and bad enough, yesterday I walked out without my office keys. I worked from outside the office - peace, freedom from closed places, fresh breezes and thoughts of priceless, yet cherished things.

Since my brand new family came back on Sunday - courtesy of my good friend Mpho Mokete, the Godfather to two, Tinyiko and Talia - I seem to be happier in the mornings (although still in rushes). I wake up to pretty faces with wide smiles. Pure new white teeth on one, and just red spanky new fresh gums on the other. I wake up to smiles from my two daughters and not a day has gone by since they came back had I been short of a smile. It's like second nature to them: It's almost like they wake up and look at who's around and they just go wide in smiles, one at a time, then in unison. Those smiles radiate some energy in me for the entire forthcoming day. From the morning I see those smiles I'm just forced to keep mine for the next day light.

And as my wife has so often realised, I value smiles in relationships, in friendships and in life in general than anything else. To me smiles are one of those tax free, priceless qualities that just humble you and say: 'life 's beautiful, smile back and keep it on when you see the next person'.

But the reality is that smiles are only (except for my house) in places where hospitality is valued and people pay an arm and a hand to get them. At work, very often, or in every second person you come across, a smile is missing. May be I defaulted on my smile-tax. In the streets, smiles are missing and generally, all over the place smiles are missing. And it's only a few people who keep them on and flash them when you come across them.

But go to any damned good hotel or restaurant. In these places of hospitality, you will be met from the first person at the door, with a pricessless flashy smile. Almost magical. So much that you get humbled - except for the reason you are in that place is to part with you small fortunes. Nevertheless, they are smiles and when I come across them, regardless of the motive, I'm humbled. (Rememer, a devil smile is easy to tell: the teeth pitch black to render the smile pitch dark).

Well, for me, home is where the smiles are at. I think by the time Tinyiko's gums start showing some bright white teeth, I must invest in shades for the mornings so that I don't get blinded by a combo of two of the best waning smiles in the world.

The price: well, pricesLESS. The tax: well, FREE. And as for the struggle with slumber, amidst this premature winter, I'm sure I will make it - how, I don't know. The solution eludes the world, not just me. May be their smiles can inspire me in a way.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire