The New Year's Resolution that will change your life :)

"I never smile if I can help it. Showing one's teeth is a submission signal in primates. When someone smiles at me, all I see is a chimpanzee begging for its life..." - Dwight Schrute

Ha! Sorry....this cracked me up and was the first thing that popped into my head....but yeah...smiling is awesome

Some time ago I realized that regardless of how beautiful a woman might be, when she smiled her beauty intensified about 10X. As far as us guys go ... well, the first thought in my mind is what is this guy trying to sell me.

Originally posted by misscurious

Originally posted by trysts
reply to post by Ophiuchus 13

 

I don't trust people who smile all the time. It's like they're masking something. I get paid to be a smiling robot, so I smile then, but once I get off work I can be a genuine, honest human being again.

A smile is a complex process of muscles in our face, we are programmed since birth to recognise these subtle cues.. a genuine smile will always make others smile. A fake smile can be seen a mile off, those people are masking something and we recognise it instantly..

I hate to burst your bubble but a majority of people cannot tell a fake from a real smile anymore. We have been programed to believe lies.

I smile alot...sometimes people ask me, whats so funny? Most times I just respond with laughter but truth is I dont know why I smile so much...

Someone once asked an actress what was the most important thing to do to become a great performer? The reply was, "the single most important thing is sincerity, when you can fake that you will have it made".

I am going to have to disagree with the OP. It isn't the smile that is important but rather the attitude behind the smile. Facial expressions are just the outward manifestations of our attitudes.

Consider this...

The world is full of things we have no control over. A loved one dies, someone robs you, your "true love" breaks up with you, Your child comes down with a life threatening disease; These are all things that can happen to us that we cannot control.

But there is one thing, and just one thing, we have absolute control over. That is our attitude. If your attitude is terrible and you hate the world, that will show through the brightest of smiles. If you have a positive attitude and love life that will show through even the blandest of "poker faces".

I am going to assign you a task. Some of you may already be doing it, however there will also be some of you who will find this task extremely difficult. But if you carry through with it you will find the rewards most satisfying.

It is said that if you do something difficult for 30 days it will become a new habit. So here is your task.

1 - When you wake up each morning say to yourself, "I choose to have a positive attitude today". If you have to, make it into a note and tape it to your bathroom mirror or some other place where you will see it as soon as possible after you wake up.

2 - When someone asks you how you are reply, "Fantastic, but I will get better" or "Terrific, but I am improving rapidly" or maybe "If I were any better I would have to be you". People are not used to this kind of response. What they usually get is anything from a bland OK to an "organ recital" of aches and pains or worse yet a diatribe about how badly the world is treating them. These are all downer responses but my suggestions are upper responses. And the novelty of them makes them even more effective. And here is the best part, it is a win win situation. Not only will you brighten the day of the person you say it to, you will feel better as well.

Practice these things for 30 days and you will start to notice people you come into contact with regularly will look forward to seeing you and their positive attitude toward you will reinforce your positive attitude.

The only way you can lose if you do this is to not carry through with it or if your attitude is so bad already that it will take more than a mere 30 days to reset it.

reply to post by TheOneElectric
Hi TheOneElectric,

Thank you for the excellent reminder! It really does work. I tried it once years ago. I would always be in such a foul mood when I went grocery shopping after work, tired, angry, depressed. I would hate seeing other people -- I despised it and the reactions I got from people were guarded. Then it struck me, smile next time and see what response you get. Wow, people smiled back and even spoke. Needless to say, the shopping experience improved greatly from then on.

S&F for your post.

Happy New Year!
yesterday

Ok
I'll bite and give it go, though if I smile much more I may be sent away in a straight jacket
Here's you starter for 10

And here's some to keep you going

Originally posted by clairvoyantrose
reply to post by trysts

 

I don't think you're seeing the point. Smiling releases chemicals and energy that make you more positively charged person. People will be more drawn to be polite and friendly to you as you are projecting positivity yourself. We don't want you to smile to be an autonomous being with only one or two emotions. It's none of your business to be worried about how other people feel, or how other people see you. If you're positive all across, the more positivity you will receive.

I don't really see myself and others as batteries. I think honest people want honesty from others, not manipulation. And I certainly care how other people feel, and how others see me. Maybe we just have different views on socializing with people, clairvoyantrose.

im an emotionally confused person, i smile and frown at the same things over and over again, i thought that the solution is to embrace every emotion that i have because that's the way they are, perhaps they're the truth i have upon my hand--well thanks and i love you for this. i'll wear a true smile from now on

reply to post by TheOneElectric


I am grinning from ear to ear.

My wife also absolutely agrees

Happy New Year!

As far as whether or not a smile is fake, yes, there is a way to tell. The little crows feet people get near their eyes with age will appear around the eyes when a smile is genuine. So, it's actually the eyes and not the mouth that is important to note when detecting a real smile. If the smile is fake, the eye shape doesn't move much with the smile and the crows feet don't appear. If you're looking at a picture and want to be sure, cover the entire bottom part of the face with your hand and only look at the eyes of the smiling person - if their eyes look sullen, bored, or unaffected then it's a fake smile. You'll be surprised how many fake smiles you can detect!

However, it is true that the more you smile the more your brain chemistry changes and it does lighten your mood. Make no mistake, smiling is good for you. Even if you have to fake it for awhile...

In the wild, smiling is a submissive signal, as someone else said above... one reason why salespeople should always smile at their customers is because it creates a buying atmosphere as the customer feels instantly superior and in charge.

Originally posted by misscurious

Originally posted by ezekielken
reply to post by Dispo

 

haha you poor brits and your bad teeth ! Smile anyways, those who receive it will think you are ultra-confident in not letting your bad teeth get you down

Brits bad teeth is just as bad as all aussies with corks on their hats, all Americans eat burgers and pizzas for every meal or French people with stripy jumpers with garlic around their necks..

I'll have you know that im very proud of my hats with corks around the brim thank you very much.

On the matter of smiling if you dont like smiling dont smile but at least try to do something that puts a smile on someone else's dial.

reply to post by trysts


But should the paying customer of the business that is earning you a living really have to know your pissed off with your self, your life or your job. At the end of the day your just serving him a drink he's paid for with his hard earned cash. He has just given you (the business) money and a "smile" wouldn't go a miss.

If the bar has no customers you have no job, so you job is to keep the customers happy, content and coming back. A simple Smile can do just that.

Of course your Human and so is he and you could call it "fake" and a "front" but in reality it's just the "face of the business". If as a paying customer you have a choice between buying your beer from a smiling bar tender, even if that Smile isn't always "real" or buying your beer off a guy who hates his job or is having woman troubles at home and sits with a face on his full shift.

I think some people have a bit too much "self importance" and like a sense of "entitlement". These customers are paying your wages, these guys are you and your bosses life blood and all you have to do to keep it going is Smile, a small price in my opinion.

You have an opportunity to cheer up someone's day, regardless of # your feeling and if you just think "# him I'm the depressed one" then so be it but just giving someone a smile and wishing them a nice day can be enough to lift someone's mood, just enough that they don't tip over the edge.

The "human" part of it all works both ways... like when someone says "how are you today"... why not care how they really are, like your being paid to be there, paid by them (the customer) and as a human being why does it have to be a hollow question, why can't you really care how they feel and try and help in anyway you can. The same works both ways for employee and customer but maybe if you Smile first and then if they ask how you really are you could tell them you've had better days and air it out.

I hope this doesn't appear like a dig at you but a Smile is small price to pay to brighten up someone's day...

"why should I" is likely the answer though...

I don't see it as being a robot, I see it as being normal lol why bring all your # with you to work, it helps no one, not even your self.

I support the notion that smiling helps and not going "I'm having a # day, I hate my job and have nowt going for me" will help everyone. At the end of the day it's your fault, it your problem so you sort it out

Why put your problems onto everyone else.

reply to post by docgreen15


You know, you're the third person who thinks that if there is no smile then there must be some look of anger. This isn't so, since I am quite capable of having more than two thoughts. There was even someone who said something like, "if you're not going to smile than at least do...", as if I owe you something because I'm not smiling. For those who don't always smile, I just want to say thank you, We may be the only people stopping the brave new world from being realized.

reply to post by TheOneElectric


You can now see that no End of The World happened. These are all superstitions. Enjoy The Life.

Thanks OP for the great suggestion...This is what the world really needs.I am so tiered of seeing miserable,grumpy people drawn deep in their problems and issues....I laughed right now and i feel a hell of a lot better....I reminded myself of a silly joke we used to tell at high school way back then,,,,Captain kirk,Spock,Dr Mccoy and Ensign Rodriguez are beaming down to an unknown planet...Guess who's not coming back. ..gets me every ttime

Originally posted by misscurious
The power of a smile is magical, not only makes you feel better but also makes others feel good.. I try to smile to at least one stranger a day.. you would be amazed at the results.. everyone should try it..
S and f op.. great suggestion..

edit on 31-12-2012 by misscurious because: (no reason given)

Women should use this girl's avatar as a template.

reply to post by trysts


What I'm saying is if your not smiling then what? You have no facial expressions? why? A blank look on your face that means nothing... So do you just talk and not express emotion or do you only express negative emotions? lol

Try smiling for a change, it might actually lighten your mood...