Every day I’m in the gym early in the morning. And I find it tough whether it’s 25 minutes at level 6 on the stepper or 40 minutes on the treadmill at a 15 incline. Then there’s the ‘core’ exercises afterwards. Sweaty. Puffing. And tough.

But I’m fortunate to share the gym with Buy1GIVE1 (B1G1) founder Masami Sato. Yesterday she asked me to take a look at my face.

‘Is it hurting?’ she said.

‘Your face looks like it’s in pain and it always does even when you start exercising. Why not try smiling and see what happens,’ she said.

We’ll get back to that in a moment.

Because after the gym yesterday I caught up with some reading. In the Chronicle of Philanthropy I learnt of a survey that ‘verified’ that sad photos of kids in fund-raising campaigns raise more money from donors that happy faces. I find that probably true but sad if you know what I mean.

Then in Martin Lindstrom’s book ‘BUYology ’ I read of several studies that talked about smiling shop assistants versus sad-faced ones. And not surprisingly, smiley faced shop assistants sell much more.

And then today I went to a special flea market organised by SMU (Singapore Management University) for Social Entrepreneurship. The idea was that there were lots of stalls manned by YMCA and SMU people with each store selling products that ‘give back’ in some way. For example, products like purses made by ‘handicapped’ (their word not mine) people in villages in Thailand. Or diaries made by students that give back to an old-aged people’s home in Singapore.

Nice. But most of the pictures (and some of the ‘salespeople’) were, you guessed it, sad. Quite unlike a ‘normal’ retail space where there’s invariably ‘buzz’, great design and people buying things. Not that I’m saying one is good or one is bad – just interestingly different.

And why would they 'settle' for a flea market, I wonder? Wouldn't it be appropriate to handle the products so that they become mainstream and available in 'normal' reatil stores every day?

Somehow, sometimes it seems when there’s a cause involved, joy and smiles go out of the window. And we sometimes settle for less. I wonder why. And more and more I see the great sense in B1G1 ’s focus on ‘sharing the joy of giving, every second, every day and in every way. ’

Back to the gym.

And you guessed right again. No more pained looked on my face when I’m exercising – just a smile. And it works. I went further than ever today.