The best accessory a woman can have? Her smile! There are countless reasons why, but Bob Marley once said, “The most beautiful curve on a woman’s body is her smile.” And as a woman with a lot of curves, I like to think that is true. In my eyes, it’s my best asset and I never get dressed without it.
I give smiles freely daily, starting with myself. That’s right, I smile at myself in the mirror everyday while I’m getting dressed. Some might think that it’s vain or odd, but I say if you can’t make yourself smile then how on earth can you make someone else?
For me, smiling comes easy (a lot easier than exercising.) It is as natural for me as breathing, but I understand for some that may not be the case. And you should know that smiles are not all created equally.
At least six basic types of smiles to express feelings have been identified by University of California psychologist Dacher Keltner and Lee Ann Harker. The six types are:
- The Polite Smile – where the corners of our lips turn up, but there is no engagement with our eyes
- The Asymmetrical Smile – where we raise one side of our lips higher than the other, better known as the fake smile
- The Embarrassed Smile – where we look away or down, and press our lips together when smiling because we have made a mistake or been caught
- The Genuine Smile – where our lips raise up, part, teeth show, and our eyes light up
- The Loving Smile – we tilt our heads toward others while giving a genuine smile
- The Synchronized Smile – where we genuinely and lovingly smile and add a forward-leaning body movement toward the person to show we are on the same wavelength
When we smile at others, it sends a message. This week I’m going to focus on giving genuine and loving smiles, which require more feeling and the use of more muscles. And if I’m lucky and work it right, there will be a special someone I can synchronize smiles with of the male persuasion.
Think about what message you want to send this week when getting dressed and who you might want to send it too. Don’t be lazy. Pick one, suit up and wear it well! Trust me, you will see quick positive results.
I invite you to join me in smiling every day. Make a difference in your life and the lives of others. There is no way you can fail. Smiles are contagious. It has been proven that they elevate our moods, relieve stress, make us more attractive, and can be a form of exercise…at least in my mind. I mean, anything that takes up to 53 muscles to perform has to be, right? So join me in getting on a regular smile workout regimen this week. Especially if beauty and living longer is what you are aiming for. Let’s work those muscles!
I’ll leave you with some of my favorite smile quotes to ponder and inspire you to smile. I invite you to comment and let me know if any of them speak to you or, better yet, bless us by sharing a new one. Let’s encourage and support each other in smiling.
1. “Keep smiling because life’s a beautiful thing and there is so much to smile about.” Marilyn Monroe
2. “Forgive quickly, kiss slowly. Love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile.” Audrey Hepburn
3. “Smile…it will either warm their heart or piss them off…either way…you win.” Unknown
4. “Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.” Unknown
5. “The smile on my face doesn’t mean my life is perfect. It means I appreciate what I have and what God blessed me with.” Unknown
6. “I smile because you’re my sister. I laugh because you can’t do anything about it.” Unknown
7. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss
8. “If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.” Maya Angelou
9. “When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.” William Shakespeare
10. “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” Phyllis Diller
11. “We may never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” Mother Teresa
12. “Better to be the one who smiled than the one who didn’t smile back.” Unknown
Love it Andrea! And love your smile too. Hugs and Blessings
Back at you my sista!
Loved reading this! Smiling thinking about you! 🙂
Valerie, you always make me smile…just sayin!