What makes me smile?

A true smile takes over your face

Seeing someone smile is definitely my favourite expression to observe as a smile effects different facial muscles and can even been expressed through ones eyes. When someone is exceptionally happy, if you observe the eyes, one would note that the eyes in essence are actually smiling whilst glowing. A smile is generally brought about by a feeling of happiness, pleasure, contentment and excitement however there are times when one may smile due to anxiety or annoyance. Then there's the fake smile when one feels obliged to smile or you just smile for the sake of smiling in order to mask an annoyance or irritability, which I must admit I'm definitely a culprit of.

There are so many moments, activities or things that make me smile. Below are a few that spring to mind

• Friday afternoons, knowing that its weekend & I can attempt to sleep in.
• Spending the afternoon with people that I love and creating new memories
• Trying new activities like tobogganing and realising that I actually enjoy it.
• Food, trying new restaurants and discovering a new passion for cuisine
• Getting involved in a CSI project and watching how it positively impacts a community
• Going on holiday, packing my suitcase and boarding an aeroplane
• Learning from others especially older, wiser and experienced individuals
• Overcoming a challenge, realising how much work went into the task and being able to tick it off my To Do List
• Arriving home after being away, seeing familiar faces and just being home
• Sunday afternoon naps with the sun penetrating my back as I snooze
• Sharing achievements with special people
• Looking through old photo albums and reminiscing about the 'old days'
• Getting into bed after a long, hard day
• Morning cuddles
• Being on holiday and realising that its time to switch off and just be
• Seeing others achieve and overcome hardships
• Seeing others smile, makes me smile
• Meeting up with friends who I have not seen in years
• Being part of a society where one is encouraged to make decisions, stick by your decision and learn from the process.
• Love and the emotions that go with it

Life is all about the moments that make you smile however lets be honest there are many moments which encourage you to frown rather than smile. Instead of focusing on the frown fulled moments, I'm going to try to capture the moments which are full of smiles.

A smile confuses an approaching frown

-- Author Unknown

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smile

http://kamydental.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/children_smiling.jpg

Feelings follow behaviour

Feelings do follow behaviour. You're driving in bumper to bumper traffic on a monday morning, a complete stranger in the car next to you smiles at you, you generally smile back and possibly bluch a little. The truth is that one simple smile, can positively influence your mood, which impacts how you react to others during that day. Yes, there are times when you feel grumpy as you sit in traffic and hardly want to smile back at the stranger in the yellow beetle but how much effort does a small smile take? Smiling does not require much, plus it generally makes one feel better and who knows that unexpected smile may just have a very good outcome.

My list of a few things that make me smile

• Finding R20 in an old pair of pants
• Hearing a baby giggle or watching a toddler woddle
• Catching up with an old friend
• Sitting at the arrivals terminal at CT Airport & watching the true happiness on peoples faces as loved ones enter through the arrival doors.
• Looking at old photographs and reminiscing about past adventures
• Finding a real bargain
• Waking up, lying in bed & realising its Saturday and you do not have to be up at 6am.
• Booking a holiday
• Landing at your holiday destination
• Mid week public holidays
• Graduation
• The smell of my mom's sunday lunch & the sounds of my family buzzing about the house.

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. ~Phyllis Diller

http://www.flickr.com/photos/njberry/344030131/