How To Smile for Real

“If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours.” – Proverb

Have you ever seen a fake smile and wondered what was off?  Something was off, and it was in the eyes … “their eyes weren’t smiling.”

When you see a smile that’s contagious and it lights up the room, it’s because the eyes are smiling too.

In the book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions , Guy Kawasaki writes about genuine smiles and the art of making a great smile.

Think Pleasant Thoughts
The key to a good smile is, to think pleasent thoughts.  After all, the eyes are the window to the soul.  Guy writes:

“The key to a great George Clooneyesque smile is to think pleasant thoughts.  If you’re grumpy inside, it’s hard to have a smile that lights up the room.”

Fake Smiles Don’t Use the Eyes
Fake smiles don’t use the muscles around your eyes.  Guy writes:

“A fake smile uses only the zygomatic majory muscle — the one that runs from your jaw to the corner of your mouth.  It’s easy to control this muscle, so it leads to fake or what was called ‘Pan American smiles’.”

Make Crows Feet to Make a Great Smile
To make a great smile that lights up the room, Guy shares a tip — make crows feet.  Guy writes:

“A great smile uses the orbicularis oculi muscle, too. This muscle surrounds your eyes, and it makes you squint and produce crow’s feet.  A real smile is so special that it has its own name:  the Duchenne smile, in honor of Guillame Duchenne, a French nuerologist.”

So if you want to smile for real, and have a great smile, think happy thoughts and make those crows feet.

Photo by whologwhy.