Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody’s heart.
Anthony J. D’Angelo
Lady Calen’s Saturday Bites led me down the path of smiles. It came about from a comment by susurrus about the duchenne smile. Neither Calen nor I had heard that term before. We were both curious enough to find out what it is.
What I found was a whole fascinating area of research and information about something that is, hopefully, present in all our lives a lot – smiles.
Now, back to that word – duchenne. Turns out it is a word used to describe a genuine smile. You know, the kind that lights up the eyes, crinkles the wrinkles at the edges. A real smile as opposed to a fake smile. Or a botox smile.
It’s named after a French physician, Guillaume Duchenne, who studied the physiology of facial expressions in the nineteenth century. As it turns out smiling uses up a lot of muscle power – 42 in fact. Some of those muscles are the ones that produce crow’s feet around the eyes. The genuine smile, the duchenney one, is controlled by the limbic system. That’s the emotional seat of the brain. It can’t be faked. And what’s more, some studies have shown that the duchenne smile predicted positive outcomes in marriage and well-being up to 30 years later. Now that is a good reason to keep those crow’s feet.
Nothing you wear is more important than your smile.
Connie Stevens
There’s a lot to be said for smiling. And a lot of reasons to smile.
Here’s just a few –
Smiling Elevates Our Mood
Smiling Is Contagious
Smiling Boosts Your Immune System
Smiling Makes Us Feel Good
Smiling Makes You Look Younger
Smiling Makes You Seem Successful
Put a smile on that dial.
Try it. Every day this week, smile more.
Smile often. Smile at everyone you meet.
© Raili Tanska
Share your smile with the world.
It’s a symbol
of friendship and peace.
Christie Brinkley
soulgifts - Telling Tales 
i agree smile make me feel good
I’m smiling!
🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂
Wonderful post. I’m smiling too 😁
Right back at you !
Smiles are heartwarming and beautiful and these are some wonderful photos. Thank you for a new word.
My pleasure 🙂
😁
Ain’t it the truth. Love the Madeline pictures…delightful
Wow! The photos are so amazing! There’s no plain-looking person when they smile…
Yeah, isn’t that interesting 🙂
:))))))))))))
Wow :)))))))))))
Your post made me smile. 🙂
Excellent !
Great one 😀
You must’ve read my mind Raili, I’ve been smiling all week, ah yes, not much work for the plumber this week, so the poet is in his element, writing and music, with coffee and lunches out and about.
Sounds wonderful, Ivor 🙂
Wouldn’t it be great, if instead of being trained for violence, armies were sent out to smile at the enemy. That way, everyone would win the war 🙂 🙂 🙂
Now there’s an interesting thought!
And a smile can totally make someone’s day! Especially cashiers at grocery stores, I’ve found. This is a wonderful post, Raili! One of your best! ❤
Thank you !!! I always find it interesting which posts resonate with people. Often they are the ones I least expect…
Lovely post!
Smile please…
Smiling 🙂 🙂 🙂