The Smiley Brothers, Ray and Zin.Smile and the world smiles back!
Is it possible to be wide-eyed, naïve and full of wonder for your whole life. Can someone who’s been on the planet for several decades still travel through her days unjaded. I’m not sure. But, I do know that I hope the answer is yes and I hope that proclaiming it as a goal will help to make it so.
Is it artifice to assert that one is not jaded, while one must also admit that the lessons of a lifetime do come to their aid everyday? I certainly go through life with my eyes wide open, aware sadly of the possibilities of unkindness and cynicism, using a life’s worth of lessons to guide me. But I also go through life sure that today will be great, that people will be kind to me, that doors and hearts will open.
So is there risk to assuming the best about people? Is it a stumbling block to a successful life, to neglect to consider the downside? Will you fail, if you always assume that you won’t?
I’m not sure. I wonder. But from my experience, I’d say, so far so good.
Has this been a good way to live? I can answer a resounding YES. Our lives are filled with so many “this is the way it’s done” limitations. I have found success for Spontaneous Smiley, by ignoring a lot of the guidelines I’ve come up against. I’ve had my biggest successes by naively approaching the big dogs with a pitch that optimistically flies in the face of normal protocol.
My press releases look like comic books–a reporter friend almost lost his mind trying to explain to me why it was wrong, wrong, wrong to include so many pics and silly anecdotes about being a cockeyed optimist. But, since it seems to be working, I’ll go on looking like a goof ball and finding success. The staid approach is simply not my style.
I’ve pitched to galleries, media peeps and even the mighty TED Talks as if there’s nothing out of the unusual about a complete unknown writing to say HI and will you take a look.
Has this been a perfect way to live? Nothing is perfect. The downside is a deeper sense of disappointment when my path crosses the path of an angry, sad individual whose lashing out hurts me deeply. I want so much for goodness, kindness, and gentle speech to be the norm. But the upside of a life of joy and contentment, way out weighs the temporary blues I feel when confronted by meanness.
I recommend wide-eyed, innocence over the cold, cynical approach every time!
Smile. Be happy. Assume the best.
Ruth
Here’s my 2 Pager Press Info Sheets
(Yes, actually 2 pages, not 1! L.O.L., I’m such a rule breaker. And wait a minute, that’s not a traditional headshot! Oh and F.Y.I.: It’s a screenshot so the links don’t work. Working links are at the very bottom of the post.)
Info about the Spontaneous Smiley Project:
ABOUT: www.SpontaneousSmiley.com
KIDS’ BOOK: www.tinyurl.com/smileybook
KIDS’ SONG: www.spontaneoussmiley.com/themesong.htm
TED Talk: www.vimeo.com/26190208
BLOG: www.blog.spontaneoussmiley.com/?cat=4
FBk: www.facebook.com/ruth.kaiser
FBk group: www.facebook.com/groups/SpontaneousSmiley/
SMILE-A-THON: www.spontaneoussmiley.com/smileathon.htm
TWITTER: SpontaneSmiley
XmasSong youtu.be/LAKZfZ5BZtU
A Video from a Smiley Fan: http://youtu.be/gHcOUBXHqsU