I love simple books with powerful messages. Smile and Move is one of those books. At 30 minutes of reading time, it won’t require much of an investment on your part.
Except for your brain, which must engage and understand WHY you need to smile and move.
The book is by Sam Parker, and is worth picking up for yourself and your team. I loaned my copy to my manager. She’s going on vacation this week, so I hope she reads it and comes back recharged with some new ideas. I was after I read it.
Cool fact from the book:
Research shows that, people who are encouraged to express gratitude report feeling happier, more excited and joyful, and even have fewer headaches and colds. — “Counting blessings vs. burdens: Experimental studies of gratitude and subjective wellbeing in daily life,” by R.A. Emmons and M.E. McCullough (2003).
Sam sent me 2 extra copies so that I can share the ideas with YOU, the wonderful readers of my blog.
How can you win?
Leave a comment and share how you’ve made someone smile in the last week. If you haven’t done so, you have a few days 
Contest ends Friday March 27, 2009. I have 2 copies to give away. Open to US residents only.
Don’t want to wait? Go buy yourself a copy of the book in the Smile and Move store.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
The most recent example was during a discussion about KPIs when I used a mixed sports anaology (baseball & football) with someone who is a big sports fan. He smiled and laughed at the odd combination. It helped to keep him at ease and listen to the overarching point about improving his stats.
Another reason to move – especially with others whenever possible – is that moving increases emotion and memory. Eating and walking are ways we instinctively get in sync with each other so we are more likely to hear and like each other.
That’s why I suggested yesterday that the audience, at the next break, get up together, walk outside, for circles within circles and walk/talk about what they liked best about the conference so far. Little did I think that they’d actually do it but they were like YOU Phil – up for a new adventure with strangers-who-could-become-friends. And it was about 30 degrees out! That caused a stir – and imitators. Improv anywhere.
Caution: motion is a two-edged sword in that it increases whatever emotion one is feeling. That’s why people in an argument who get up and start gesturing and moving around get more intensely angry with each other. They are spiraling up into conflict rather than out into connection.
Finally, there are few things more moving to me than seeing a couple that has been together for a looong time, walking happily down the sidewalk, comfort in their mutual knowing and affection.
I made my 8 year old daughter and 4 of her friends smile when I joined their “fashion show” prancing about the living room to the music with just my jeans and t-shirt…..They were delighted with my silliness.