I remember distinctly, when I was a kid, I read or heard the expression “He always had a smile on his face”, so I tried walking around smiling all the time. All that happened was my face muscles started aching and I looked pretty stupid!

But now I know what the expression means. The guards at Waterford estate, where I live, always wave and smile at the residents as they drive in and out. When we bought an office building in Woodmead Office park, I noticed the difference immediately. It took me about two years of waving, smiling and greeting before they came around. Now everyone gets a smile on the way in and out.

When I’ve been to the shops in the UK (not often thank heavens), I’ve noticed that nobody makes eye contact with any other shoppers and there is not a smile to been seen. Here in Fourways, when I’m at the shops, I smile at just about everyone with whom I make eye contact and Hey! they smile back. Often, very often in fact, it is the other person who smiles first almost as if they know I’m going to smile at them. So I live in a happy, smiling world. How’s yours?

Should you wish to make an appointment, please feel free to visit Derek’s diary and book a time that suits you.