I know how simple that sounds. It’s almost cliché. But here’s the brutal truth: very few people actually wake up with a smile on their face.

Studies show that nearly 55% of adults report waking up feeling stressed or anxious rather than refreshed or happy. We rush straight from slumber into the grind, conditioned to brace ourselves for the challenges ahead rather than greet the day with warmth.

But what happens when you take that silly frown and turn it upside down? Oops—there comes a smile. You might feel a flicker of awkwardness at first, like you’re pretending.

But that smile does more than change your facial muscles. It changes your mood, your mindset, even your energy. And that ripple effect doesn’t stop with you; it reaches out to everyone you meet.

The K.I.S.S. ~ Start with a smile!

A smile is one of the easiest acts of defiance against a world that demands hustle and burnout. It’s a small, silent rebellion that says, “I will find peace here. I will choose joy.” It shifts tension, softens corners, and opens doors.

So as you move through your day, in the wake of its storms and victories, start with that smile. Not because everything is perfect, but because you deserve to carry a little light with you—even if it’s just a grin.

Try it tomorrow morning before you check your phone or dive into your inbox. See what happens when the day begins with something as simple as a smile. It might just be the reset button you didn’t know you needed.

And if that feels impossible today, remember this is a practice, not a magic trick. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.

In the wake of your day, start with a smile.

In the Wake of Your Day
by Kristianne Wargo

When the sun spills gold
and your breath feels too fast,
pause—
let the moments gather like dew
on the edges of a quiet morning.

Chase the butterfly’s wild dance,
watch how the light folds slowly
into the arms of the evening,
and somewhere,
beneath the vast, unspoken sky,
a smile curls like a secret
on the lips of time.

Not forced,
not borrowed—
but born from the soft courage
to be present, right here, right now.

In the wake of your day,
where the rush unwinds,
choose the grace of a smile—
a small, fierce hope
that kindles the dark
and asks only this:
Will you begin again?

“Be present. Be incredible. Be YOU!!!“