Talk Less. Smile More. by Joshua

Talk Less. Smile More. by Joshua - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

“Talk less. Smile more.”

It’s a quote from Hamilton, the Broadway musical. I am not a huge fan of musicals, and probably could not name any of the songs from the show, but my aunt listens to it all the time. I remember hearing one of the songs, and the singer kept saying, “Talk less. Smile more.” And I think that would be a great quote for my senior yearbook.

My whole life, I have been described as quiet. I listen a lot, to everything. My mom used to always have to remind herself that I heard everything as a child, and she needed to be careful what she said around me. I didn’t always say a lot, though. And when I did, it was well thought out in my head first. Initially, I was this way because I had a stutter growing up. However, I soon realized that it was far beneficial to me to talk less, because then my words had more meaning. Unfortunately, I think that lesson is missing these days. Social media has given the population the ability to say whatever they want, and whatever they are thinking, at any given point in time. This causes others to be upset, and creates conflict. Talking more also keeps us from listening, and really hearing what others are saying. It is unfortunate that we, as a society, cannot pause and reflect on what we say, before we say it, and instead take the time to listen to each other. For me, I try not to fall into that trap. I talk less.

The second line, “Smile more.”, is something I am working on. I hate my smile. As a result, I tend to look very serious, or unhappy, which is not correct most of the time. I feel though, that it is an important lesson for me, and the majority of society, to smile more, and put out those positive feelings. Mostly because of our inability to talk less, we live in very contentious times, and it’s sad. I know this sounds cheesy, but, maybe if we smiled more, it could positively affect situations. Pay it forward, with a smile. That kindness could mean a lot to that person that is having a really bad day, and angry at everyone. Maybe, maybe not, but you have not lost anything in trying. So, I am going to try to smile more.

“Talk less. Smile more.” Four simple words that make up two very important directives that are important to my life, and if more people attempted it, could be important to the world. And, as a man of few words, I need to be sure the ones I am using have more meaning. That’s why I think that this would be a great quote for me to use for my senior yearbook.