Developing all four of the pre-enrollment documents can be hard work. Opinions may differ and tensions may rise, We encounter friction and encounter road blocks. We may get into win-lose thinking and get nowhere. It is important to remember Self-Determination Plans are complicated and it takes a team pulling together to craft the plan successfully. When times get tense, grim, and teeth clinch, pause, take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and gently smile. That simple act will deflate the tensions in the room. It will feel like someone opened a window in a stuffy room and let in the fresh air. Smiles are expressions of happiness, respect, and positivity. We need smiles to get passed the rough patches in life and to our goals and dreams.