One woman's attempt to spread happiness at work has turned into a growing network of positivity

This Sunday is National Smile Day, a simple reminder that sometimes the smallest gestures can make the biggest impact.

On Long Island, one woman has started a movement showing people just how important it is to smile every day.

Brielle Neumann is on a mission to make sure people still believe in the good in the world. It's the foundation of a movement she started in 2022 while working a corporate job.

"A lot of people around me were miserable," she said. "They were focusing on the negatives, and I decided that more people need happiness."

So she began with something simple:  asking co-workers, and even strangers, what made them smile. She would then write their answers on Post-it notes and stick them up on her cubicle wall.

What started as a personal way to find joy quickly turned into something she didn't expect.

"People kept coming by and being like, 'What is this? I want to write one,'" she said.

Now, that idea has grown into "Smile Stories: The Movement," where she creates spaces for people to write what makes them happy and share it with others. Walls full of these "smile stories" are now popping up across Long Island.

"Spreading smiles and kindness like confetti," Neumann said.

From schools to community events, and even local businesses, the simple Post-it note idea has turned into a growing network of positive messages.

During open mic nights, strangers are encouraged to share what makes them smile with one another. Participants say it's become a simple reminder to shift perspective.

"Say something nice and kind out in the world," Northport resident Doug Trani said. "It makes life worth living."

"Really important right now with what's going on in our country," East Northport resident Rachel Friedman said.

Neumann said that's the heart of it all and that even small moments of kindness can build momentum.

"Your smile is your superpower," she said.

A small message on a wall or spoken out loud with the hope, they can lead to something much bigger.