With all of the current talk and fears of the new “megavirus” making its way around, I thought about other contagions that have caused panic and chaos over the years.

The biggest, of course, was the so-called “black plague” in the fourteenth century that may have caused as many as 200 million deaths. The Spanish Flu and, more recently, Covid-19 also shut down the world.

There are two contagions, however, that I have always been a proponent of and there seems to be less and less of it nowadays – smiling & laughter. Have you ever noticed how a laughter spreads?

Awkward moments are sometimes relieved by laughter. Have you ever consoled a friend or family member during a low point and accidentally discovered a laugh that made things better? First dates can be uncomfortable until a smile, then a laugh, seems to break the ice.

Smiling is contagious, and it’s the one thing that you can give over and over again without ever losing it.

Age plays no part in the mechanics of smiling and laughter but often plays a part in both the delivery and the acceptance of a smile. Have you ever wondered why?

We haven’t lost our ability to laugh and smile, but sometimes we lose our will. That’s precisely the time that a neighbor, a friend, a loved one, or even a stranger needs to pull out an extra one and deliver it personally.

Laughing and smiling are powerful biological and neurological responses tied to survival, bonding, emotion, and brain chemistry.

When you smile a genuine smile, your brain activates several muscles that pull the mouth upward and activate the muscles around the eyes. Smiling triggers the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like Dopamine, Serotonin, and Endorphins stimulating pleasure, good moods, and natural pain relief.

So, here’s a challenge from Professor Bird: Be patient zero of an ever-spreading global pandemic of happiness, laughter and smiles, and just maybe, you’ll be the reason someone’s day, mood, and pleasure, all got better. If you believe like I do, send me a note to and say, “Challenge Accepted!”