At your next parent-teacher meeting, ask your child’s instructors whether they would like to raise class participation and grades by nearly 30%. When they look at you skeptically, say all that’s necessary is for them to personally greet each student as they enter the classroom. A study conducted by a professor at Oklahoma State University found that simply smiling and saying hello boosted kids’ productivity and teacher mood, thus creating a more personal and positive learning atmosphere. (Imagine that!)
In fact, the professor suggests the same thing could happen in business. Instead of go-get-’em memos to make employees bear down, a smile and hello from the boss each morning would probably do a better motivational job. And that’s not all. Relationship experts believe that many marriages fail because of the “disease of inattention.” Taking the time to genuinely greet your spouse, whether in the morning or after work, might be the only therapy needed.
But wait a minute. Could it really be this simple? Could a one-word, five-letter acknowledgment result in such a big difference? Could it truly make us (and the world) more carefree, productive, and happy? We decided to conduct our own experiment. In the normal course of our day, we started saying hello to everyone we crossed paths with—on the road, at work, in stores, at home, via text messages, and even on the Internet. (Ever notice how nobody says “Hi” anymore in e-mails?) Strangers, spouses, surly supermarket clerks…it didn’t matter: We became a hello machine.
And you know what? It works. Although it wasn’t easy at first, once we got into the habit, it was fun and effective. Drivers started returning our waves during our morning walks. Supermarket staff began greeting us and pointing out the day’s deals on orange juice and ground chuck. People in the neighborhood we didn’t know miraculously became people who stopped to chat. And our days became a little less stressful, just like that. The effort of reaching out helped us relax.
Try it. Make a game of it. Count your hellos. See if you can make the grumpiest person you don’t know acknowledge you. A guy named Scott Ginsberg has actually made a career of this. He’s been wearing a “Hello, My Name is Scott” name tag for nearly 9 years. (He even has one tattooed on his chest!) The experience has enabled him to launch a website (hellomynameisscott.com), write a book on approachability, and launch a speaking business.
While you don’t have to go that far, see what happens when you become just a little friendlier for a morning or day. And in the process, don’t overlook the most important person of all in this experiment. Each morning after you get up and each night before you sleep, shoot a smile to yourself by way of the bathroom mirror.
Comments from Members
HELLO!!! 
I still say "hi" in e-mails -- not every one, but many. Each time I do, I think, "he/she must think I'm weird!". LOL! 
This sounds crazy, but I used to live in a tourist beach town. I walked up and down the beach, at first just for exercise, but then I dicided to do more with my time. I started asking everyone (...almost everyone..) I passed, "Hi! What have you done for freedom today?" The reactions were usually looks of puzzlement, but also (I hoped) thought provoking. Then, in the middle of my day and mission, a came across a military service man (an Army Lieutenant, if I remember correctly), wearing nothing that was military distinctive (I mean he looked like any tourist), and I asked him the same question: "Hi! What have you done for freedom today?" And he proceeded to tell me! I was, actually, brought to tears and could hardly keep my composure. The friend or two that was walking with him stood and grinned, like "You didn't expect THAT, did you!!! 
" I certainly did not 
! He stopped me dead in my tracks! I was overwhelmed and somewhat belittled by standing in the presence of a person serving our country. I said "Thank you" and asked if I could shake his hand. I hardly knew what to say after that... I'm not sure what I did say. I almost stopped asking people after that! LOL! But, I pulled myself together and did ask a few more people what they did for freedom today, before heading home....hoping I could do something more. Peace.
I have always done this and it is amazing. My grandmother always told me to smile and say hello to everyone you come into contact with. They may just be having the worst day of their lives and your smile or hello might just make a difference. There is always someone , somewhere who is having a hard time or having a hard day. One smile and one hello could turn their day around.What a great idea for all of us to do. 
Saying hello is such a simple thing that people take for granted. I live in a small New England town where almost every stranger says hello when you pass them. It's a really nice thing! I used to live in FL and recently went back to visit. By habit, I said hello to a strager I passed. They looked at me like I was crazy and I felt bad for the person. I think there should be more hello's with smiles passed around.
I have to say that it is a wonderful thing, greeting everyone, I have been a smiler for ever and when I started working for a Convienent store chain in Texas, the #1 rule, greet each customer with a hello and a smile. This was great at bringing customers back and made it feel like a hometown store instead of a convienent store. I moved to NY about 10 years ago and my first job was in a convienent store, and greeting people was not used there, at first people thought I was very strange, but once they realized I was being myself and enjoyed greeting them, they responded back and I had very few cranky customers. I will always smile and greet people, it is a lesson I have never forgotten.
