My Smile is My Superpower, and It Could Be Yours Too…
“Smile and let the world wonder why.”
— Minnie Mouse (Disney)
Let’s start with a simple exercise. Sit tall. Close your eyes. SMILE. Open your eyes.
Do you feel it?! That instant feeling of happiness, positivity, and hope running through your veins. That’s the magical power of a smile! That guy who is having a bad day sitting across from you was just inspired to smile after seeing a beautiful smile painted across your face. You have the power to make your own day and the days of others instantly happier by a simple expression. I challenge you to embrace this power and practice it everyday!
Fake It Till You Make It — Brain Party Edition
I tend to smile a lot. I smile because of the tremendous positive mental effect it has on me.
When you smile your brain basically throws a little party! A smile releases a stress fighting molecule called a neuropeptide. Neuropeptides allow neurons to talk to each other and lets your body know when you’re feeling happy, sad, tired, or excited. In addition, your brain releases neurotransmitters such as endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters will help you feel more relaxed because they reduce your blood pressure and and lower your heart rate. Bonus: Endorphins can act as a natural pain killer and serotonin can serve as an anti-depressant.
Now here’s the magic: you can fake it till you make it! Your brain is a sucker for a good old smile. You can trick your brain into releasing these neurotransmitters with a simple act of a smile. In fact, a comical study conducted by Dr. Eric Finzi, MD, PhD and Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, MD and published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, used botox to test the power of facial feedback. The study concluded that people who were injected with botox, which prevented them from frowning, had a 47% decrease in depressive symptoms.
Next time you’re feeling a little down, just pause and smile.
Who Needs Make Up When You Have A Smile?
A smile makes you instantly more attractive. Who doesn’t want to be more attractive?! Humans are drawn to people who are perceived as happy. In addition, our minds recognize a smile as an indicator that you are healthy. Good health is associated with attractiveness. While you can certainly fake it till you make it to impress that special someone, genuine smiles are also linked to longer life expectancy. In fact, a study analyzed photos of 200 Major League baseball players from 1952 and found that those who had a genuine smile lived longer than those who were not smiling.
While smiling may not be a magic pill, it surely is a superpower you can pull out whenever you need a little pick me up or want to put on a good first impression.
Power of the Smile on Others
“Smile if you want a smile from another face.”
— Dalai Lama.
The best part of this superpower is the ability for your smile to make an impact on someone else! Something as simple as the upward curl of your lips and a sparkle in your eye can transform someone’s day.
In our busy technology driven lives we tend to forget the impact that our actions have on other people. Last week, I was in a particularly chatty mood as I got into my Uber. As I waited for the car to pull up I smiled at the driver and said “Hi, I’m Rupali. How is your day going?” The driver simply looked back at me, and just said “Thank You.” I was a bit confused by this response to my seemingly generic greeting. He explained that although he drives hundreds of people every week, I was the first passenger to address him or even smile at him this week. The first real human interaction he has had in days. My simple act of smiling and caring had transformed his day. As a result of that smile, that driver was feeling happier, driving better, and more likely to pay this kind act forward. A smile is infectious.
Now, I’m no saint. We all have the power to do this! Instead of getting into the car with our headphones in and eyes glued to our devices, take a moment to simply pause and smile as you go about your day to day lives. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the reaction.
Today your sweet smile,
Simply made my day,
Tomorrow I’ll go the extra mile,
Thanks for paving the way.
-Rupali Saiya
Imagine a world where instead of walking through a crowd full of expressionless faces, you see people genuinely and purposefully smiling as they go about their days. Imagine a world where positivity is highlighted instead of the negativity that tends to overpower our lives today. This world is just a smile away, and we can all get there by using our super power.
A smile leaves you feeling happier and relaxed, more attractive, and a better person to be around. Why not embrace this superpower?!
And if all else fails, smiling makes for a great poker face ;)
