Smile of Your Life $1500 Secondary Education Scholarship

  As a give back to our community, Dr. Sanford sponsors an annual contest open to every high school senior who either is or has been a patient of Dr. Sanford’s.  This contest is easy to enter; however, it is essential that the criteria and guidelines be followed.

  Once the criteria has been met, there are a couple (only a couple) of guidelines that must be followed in order for your entry to be accepted. Any deviation will disqualify your entry.

• The work must be entirely your own.
• You may submit any form of written material on the theme or subject: The Power of A Smile. 
• Both the completed application and your entry must be enclosed in a sealed envelope and mailed to our office to be received no later than Monday, May 14, 2010. Please do not “just drop off” your entry. 

 To provide anonymity, once your entry is received it will be assigned a number.  All entries will be submitted together and the selection committee will choose the winner by May 29, 2010.  The winner will be contacted by telephone.  The winning entry will be published in the Courier News and posted on Dr. Sanford’s website.

       We wish you the best, both in your senior year this year and at the secondary school you choose.  Thank you for taking part in our contest!

$1500 Annual Smile of Your Life College Scholarship Criteria

Applicants must be a graduating senior who meets the following requirements:

1. must either BE or HAVE BEEN a patient of Dr. Sanford’s
2. must write a one page paper, any genre, on: “The Power of a Smile”
3. entries must be written on the “honor system,” accompanied by a contest application, completed and signed by both the applicant and parent

Selection Committee:

One member of Dr. Sanford’s staff
Two school teachers

Deadline for all submissions:  Deadline extended to May 14, 2010

2010 Annual Smile of Your Life Scholarship Winner
Julianna DiLollo

Because we never see the complete effects of our little everyday actions, we often underestimate their potential. Something as insignificant as a smile can greatly improve the mood of anyone who catches a glimpse of it, even if it only flickers across your face for an instant. For reasons still a mystery to psychologists and neuroscientists, humans mimic the facial expressions and adopt the emotions of those around them, and of all the emotional bandwagons to jump on to, happiness is the best.

Forcing yourself to smile can trick your brain into thinking you are happier than you actually are and lift your mood. People who smile at others are more approachable and successful than those who do not; as happiness is an emotion that everyone wants a piece of. Happy people are much more inclined to try to make a difference in the world than those who are apathetic, indifferent, or detached. They are more optimistic and do not give up easily, because they are invested in the future and believe it can be better than the present. So the point is, smiling on a bad day will first lift your own spirits, and then those of the people around you. As your happiness is exponentially spreading, those affected are performing modest altruistic deeds without motives other than their own philanthropic feelings.

This network of happiness is more likely to continue growing than it is to die out somewhere, as I am sure many of the more skeptical members of my audience are thinking. Even after your own good feelings have passed, the smiles of those farthest removed from your original smile are more likely to still be radiating positivity and cheerfulness out into society than they are to hoard it all for themselves. Happiness loves company, and company loves happiness! The happy person may or may not be inspired to befriend the homeless man on the corner, but they are far less likely than someone who is unhappy to scowl at him, because happy people generally wish that everyone were fortunate enough to be as happy as themselves.

Unlike the negative emotions, happiness is never a blind spot in one’s judgment. It is unbiased, it is understanding, it is hopeful, and it wants the best things possible for everyone. Happy leaders are fairer then their grouchy counterparts, and are more willing to consider the perspectives of people who disagree with them. Fighting and arguing are much less successful methods of dealing with conflict than seeking a common ground. I am not saying that smiling alone will ever lead to world peace or national harmony, but it could certainly help to ease tensions and soothe hatred.

This world is so overwhelming that everyone has felt powerless at some point, but human emotions are the driving factor by which our decisions are made and our lifestyles are determined. People of every generation, every economic background, every race, and every natural disposition experience the same feelings. Emotions are the great equalizer of humanity, and the universal language by which we relate to each other. Everyone can appreciate a smile and share in the happiness it creates. It would be satisfying and eye opening to be able to see the effects our causal actions have on others, but knowing the potential they have for immensity is, I imagine, almost as rewarding. The next time you smile at someone, think of how you could be causing a wave of happiness to swell across the earth indefinitely, and I dare you not to smile harder!

               By: Julianna DiLollo