Put on a smiling face.

Filipinos in general, love to smile. There’s no doubt about it. If you are a foreigner visiting the country, you will be amazed on how Filipinos everywhere will warmly greet visitors on every opportunity available. When you enter hotels or even restaurants, you’ll sure to get a generous amount of smile from Filipino staffs. The taxi drivers or the newspaper vendors are not to be outdone, they will have a ready smile for you should you approach them. In fact, it’s not unusual for you to see people in the streets with infectious smiles on their faces. Filipinos are known for being hospitable.

This is true even for Filipinos working abroad. They will smile and greet other people regardless of their nationality, culture or religion. We are the type of people who readily appreciates everyone. And I can say that it comes out naturally. It can be attributed to the way our parents taught us early on and our strong adherence to our tradition and religion. Even if we come from a poor family and our country is beset with so many problems, we are taught to be happy at all times. Sometimes, we even smile to hide our problems. Is there a better way to deal with problems than with a smile and a positive attitude? Will it help to solve the problem if you feel sad and gloomy? I don’t think so, we’re better off feeling happy than sad.

This sunny disposition is in fact a great asset to our countrymen. Many Filipinos working abroad have survived living away from their family by maintaining a positive attitude. Some of them are exposed to racism and not so good work environment but their resilience and optimism have been working to their advantage.

And speaking of smile, you don't need perfect teeth to have a perfect smile. Not everybody have perfect teeth, but everybody can put on a perfect smile. Beautiful teeth are nice, and it’s good if your teeth have been through one of the best New York cosmetic dentists. If you are not comfortable about your teeth which may cause your reluctance to smile, then you may look at the possibility of undergoing cosmetic dentistry procedures. But if you don’t have money to spend on these procedures, then learn to appreciate your individuality. A great smile doesn't depend on perfect teeth alone. You should practice being genuinely happy and friendly to other people. And your smile will come from within.