Power of the smile 2

In a world awash with sequels (Batman, Lethal Weapon, Terminator, Toy Story, Hunger Games) you have to wonder, are we losing our ability to create? Or are we taking a creative idea and bringing it to new heights?

Along the lines of taking an idea to new heights, we’ve decided to come back to a musing or two that we see as sequel-worthy.

Our sequel this week is to our “Power of the Smile” muse.

Today’s digital world continually produces and pushes content: stories, gossip, opinion pieces, how-tos, scientific data, education studies, and more.

The driver is the overarching desire to be heard, to be noticed, to become an influencer, to have a fanbase. And why not? We are a society that values the high achiever. What we say, what we look like, who we interact with – all affect our outward persona.

People set out to embody their ideal personas. Businesses are ubiquitous that help with this. There are diet and workout regimens, speaking and self-help sites, classes, and accessories – be they cars, clothes or the right tablet and phone to adorn us. We are willing to pay lavishly to design the trajectory of our personal and professional aspirations.

For a moment, let’s consider something that can launch you on your trajectory and yet costs nothing. Consider your facial expressions. Sounds too basic, right? Hold on. We’ve already learned that smiles are an indicator of how successful you will be: https://nkamarketing.com/musings/detail/107/the-power-of-a-smile.

A new study shows that when people look at photos of happy faces, they guess the age of the person pictured as younger than they do in photos of the same person with a neutral or angry expression – on average, a couple of years younger. In this fast paced age, with little time to read anything in more than a cursory fashion, the picture is increasingly important in defining your persona.

http://www.webmd.com/beauty/aging/20111111/smiling-makes-you-look-younger. The study is published in Psychology and Aging.

“Although age estimates can often be based on multiple cues, there are many situations in which a picture of a person’s face is the only information that is immediately available,” researcher Manuel C. Voelkle of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, and colleagues write.

“In particular, with the rise of private – or business-related social networks like Facebook, flickr, LinkedIn, and many others, it has become common practice to share pictures, often without additional background information,” they write: “In addition, smiling has been shown to make people look more attractive, which may make them appear younger.”

Want to look younger and excel in meeting your life aspirations? Reconsider the cost of your coach, the “How to lose 15 lbs. in 15 days” plan and your purchase of that new BMW you’ve been eyeing.

Try to simplify and focus on something you can control – something that can improve your image and propel you forward both professionally and personally.

Yes, smile… and smile some more. Notice how people will smile back. How they want to be with you. How they see you as vital, more attractive and yes, younger, The power of the smile is far greater than you think!