Learning To Smile

Seeing people smile is not so common nowadays and its so simple to do. Now, there are smiles, and then there are smiles. When I refer to a smile I am talking about a genuine smile. I use to be one of those people who never would smile, simply because I was never use to it.

We tend to judge a person when we come across them as moody or unhappy especially if you are being served by one. For a lot of people smiling is a natural ability which remains undiscovered and untouched, which is a shame. Some might argue that even if someone is smiling it doesn’t necessarily mean they are happy. You have a point but smiling is a step forward to being happy.

Whether you are the receiver of a smile or the doer, this simple creasing of the cheeks works wonders. At that specific moment when you are smiling at someone for whatever reason, 100% of the time it will be noticed. A smile is like an additional ray of light and it brings out the beauty in anyone.

I am not really a big fan of the American retail smile. I feel that it’s a little over the top, a little too exaggerated, it is more of a surface and “I want your tip” kind of a smile. On the other hand, would I prefer a grumpy person serving me? Perhaps not.

Fake Smile

A fake smile is easily detectable. It's simply a muscle movement in the mouth area. You can always detect one of these when:


1. The person smiles too quick even before they have even looked at you. That’s when you know that smiling is part of their job description and not their personality.


2. The smile doesn’t have a natural long duration. The next time you are served by someone, check to see if they have a smile after they turn around, a genuine smile has longer delay. On the other hand if I was working in a retail outlet would I be able to smile genuinely all the time. Well I remember when I working as a waiter in a restaurant café, and actually I remember that I didn’t have a smile on my face all the time but when I did smile it was the real deal.


A smile comes from within. A positive emotion or feeling is generated within you which is then expelled in the form of a smile. This emotion starts from what you have seen or heard. Sometimes,you may find yourself so overwhelmed with a thought or something that you have seen and smack, a smile appears.


The bigger the smile the more fake it is. You know that to get a smile like that you are putting way too much effort.

Why We Should Smile:

1. Meeting someone. When you are single and you have seen someone you are attracted to give them a smile. Most of the time, when you smile that person will catch on to it. A simple stare at someone is meaningless compared to a smile. The one advantage I had over others was that I knew how to smile. Sometimes smiling is like saying a thousand words. So if you're not much of a talker just smile.


2. Gets the job done. I found that when I wanted a favor from someone a simple smile would sensitize the other person to my request and would help me get my job done. No faking it though.


3. Powerful. A smile is so powerful that even when you are on the phone with someone they can sense it. Personally, during work when I need to call up a client or especially local authorities for something, I am literally smiling down the phone. That positive flow of energy is just felt by the other person. Try it.


4. Unhappy. How can you smile when you are unhappy? Well as hard as it maybe, you need to put a little effort here. Possibly you won’t feel like smiling but eventually it will come intuitively. When you smile you release a positive vibration within you that will eventually make you feel better. Try it, practice it!


5. Look more beautiful. No matter how much makeup a woman uses if she doesn’t smile she will not look as beautiful. A woman with a smile and no makeup is more beautiful than a woman with makeup. On the other hand, with all that makeup how are they going to smile anyway? It might crack. Ladies just smile, you will shine from a mile. Men, the same applies to you.


A smile is an inherent ability which all of us have. The more we smile the more we shine. When we shine the more we get noticed and this affects others positively around us.


Even in the face of the devil just simply smile.