Smile to break those barriers
Why has Mona Lisa’s painting remained so famous? It is five centuries old, but it is a favorite painting of all times. I think the probable answer is her inimitable smile. A simple smile can break barriers; it can prevent apprehensions, misunderstanding, ease tensions, create acquaintance, improve mental, physical, emotional & spiritual well-being, improve social conditions, give a feeling of sincerity and care all of this leading to goodness. It is so easy to smile, but we make the process difficult.
Psychiatrists suggest nervous and tense patients to smile more often. However fast fashions and styles may change, a genuine smile will never go out of style. Do you agree? And, each person has a different smile, because each one has a different motive and cause to smile. A smile can brighten people’s day in a second, it makes the receiver appreciate and acknowledge you instantaneously. It is not less than an act of worship. Keeps you face illuminated with a constant smile & see how your life changes! Yes, It changes your destiny.
One simple smile has the power to calm fear, insecurity, hurt, and anxiety. It has the power within it to change the world because smiles can be shared. They are contagious. When you smile at another person you pass all the wonderful benefits of smiling on to that person. In the worst of situations in life, some people have that beautiful smile with which they can ease tension of the situation. One of aunts had this cute smile, she had to struggle hell of a lot, but she always won all those scuffles and skirmishes in her life with her sporadic smile. I think she got life’s courage because of smiling. She would visit the neighboring houses in their times of grief, she could console people with her magic touch and her curing smile. I believe that it’s during tough times a resolute smile is needed the most. In a grim atmosphere you need a person who can lighten the moment with an assuring smile.
There have been many interesting studies conducted over the past few years which speak of the magic and power of a smile. The human brain has two circuits for controlling smiles. The cerebral cortex controls the conscious smile while the deep, primitive brain structure handles the expression of emotions. Do you know the drop-jaw smile is an exaggeration due to the jaw being lowered? This type of smile is commonly seen among public figures when giving speeches or at press conferences. Those public figures include politician and celebrities, who understand the importance of laughter. This is an enforced smile to keep the crowd in control.
The extension of this smile technique to win over people quickly is the turn-away smile – as the individual also comes across as youthful, playful and creative. It is actually a hybrid expression where the smile signals welcome, whereas the motion of turning away gives the signal of evasion. To illustrate, most men cannot resist if a women smiles coyly in their directions. Also, when a female gives the turn-away smile, it invokes parental male feelings, making men want to protect and care for the female. Some actresses are quite adept at using this technique to captivate the hearts of fans.
What do understand when a person gives you a close-lipped smile? In which the teeth aren’t displayed. This smile portrays that the person is hiding something from you. So when a mischievous child gives this smile it for sure that he is hiding something from you. If your friend gives you the closed-lip smile, the clear message is that although your friend is happy chatting with you, he is not telling you the whole thing. He/she is not revealing the truth as it is.
When the tips of the lips are stretched without the teeth exposed, such a smile shows the harboring of a secret. It shows resentment in attitude. It also projects the person’s unwillingness to talk any further. When a person does not want to share personal information with you he/she is ought to give you a tight-lipped smile. The tight-lipped smile also evokes mystery and can be often seen in magazine pictures of successful politicians and businessmen. The picture clearly reveals they aren’t disclosing any of their key secrets; they are sharing in the interview only the broad principles for success.
A twisted smile or a lopsided smile – it appears when one side of the lip moves upwards and the other side slants down causing the mouth to move in opposite directions and ending up in what seems to be a twist. This smile is interpreted as expressing mixed emotions. It projects sadness, worry or uneasiness, contrasted by the upward tilt which says that person is ready to discuss, he is in an amicable mood to talk and is not angry. To sum up, the lopsided smile signals various messages that can range from sarcasm or humiliation to biting wit.
A forced smile looks artificial and unnatural. This can be noticed specially when eyes are not engaged with mouth; resulting in the eyes looking dull or lacking energy. The phony smile gives the impression that we do not mean what we are saying – and it evokes a response of dislike of interest in social bonding.
But a genuine smile encourages others to smile back and convey an honest emotion because when we are smiling, we feel happier and this happiness is communicated to others. You will see the infants have a genuine smile.
And a scorn is an act of contempt; it shows someone being rude and reflects the lack of caring and empathy on the part of the person doing the sneering. During police interviews, for example, you will see a sneer on the faces of criminals.
So friends, different smiles have different interpretations. Smiles express a lot of unsaid emotions of people. But I am advocating importance of genuine smile at this point. A single smile, and how something so seemingly simple and effortless can inspire, affect, and set the attitude of a person’s day. A smile breaks down barriers, it diffuses tense or litigious situations, it fosters positive intent, and it inspires a child’s, parent’s, a patient’s, a student’s or colleague’s perception. A smile says the lot of who you are. It is one of the most powerful gifts that you can give to another person. That one simple gesture has the ability to lift another into a feeling of intense enjoyment, erase loneliness, and remove physical and emotional pain. It is an expression of courage and good will.
You have the power within you to create a smile. It is very powerful and doesn’t cost anything. Whenever you smile at someone else they are very likely to start smiling too because a smile is infectious. Try it. Tilt up the corner of your lips at someone on the street, in a lift, in a bazaar, a mall, in hospital at the patients on the bed, in a professional meet, in a lecture hall anywhere…. and the chances are that you will make that person grin back at you. It will raise a wave of happiness, energize the being. Maybe for a little while all their physical and emotional aches and pains will miraculously go away.
