More often than not when we go about our days on a regular basis, we start dwelling on the negatives that plague our moments. We agonize over little mistakes, the missed opportunities to achieve success, all the phrases that were left unsaid that could have made a difference in the end. When this occurs, we forget how to be happy; we lose the ability to cheer up and usually end up wallowing in a medley of self-pity and sorrow. The well known phrase, "Smiles are contagious", isn't a lie. Seeing other people smile at you or even talk excitedly to you just makes you want to smile too. You can't help but want to: it's the type of good pressure from your peers or complete strangers that everyone benefits from. Smiles truly do beget happiness because once you smile sincerely all of life's problems that were weighing you down are lifted up. Smiles act as a relief for society; they lift up our burdens allowing us to be truly happy, to be truly free.