Is your high school yearbook a fortune teller?

I heard from a colleague the other day about some research done to help identify which high school students would ultimately become most successful.

They decided to research the notorious “senior pictures” of each student. These are a hoot as you well know; wild hairstyles and clothes, be they from rebels, conformists and everything in between. There is a lot to look at in these pictures. Instead of going too deep they decided to analyze one aspect of the images – the facial expression. What they discovered from their research was that those individuals who smiled were far more likely to be successful than those who didn’t. Seems obvious… a no brainer, right?

But the attitude you convey to the world is key to defining your success. People with good attitudes, positive outlooks, and big smiles are people others want to be around. So smile. Success is far likely to follow.

Want to learn more about how not only a smile but your posture can help you?  Amy Cuddy shares some interesting findings in this TED talk.