When I tell most people that I want to major in Recreation Management, I get a sigh and an eye roll in return, which are most likely accompanied by visions of rock climbing and zip lines. I'll admit, I often feel the need to justify my decision by telling people of my "nobler" intentions of eventually working in Marriage and Family Therapy. I've even started to demean the major myself, so it wasn't a surprise when I went to my first RecM 300 class with a pessimistic attitude. We spent our time discussing definitions of "happiness," "the good life," and other seemingly fluffy terms. I wasn't amused.
Then I got an assignment to create a blog and I decided to write about my lemon candles (see previous post). I realized how hypocritical I was for writing about what makes me happy and at the same time criticizing my class for doing the same thing.
So I went back to class with a refreshed perspective, and I came away with new knowledge. One idea that stood out to me was the effect that smiles have on longevity and overall life satisfaction. Do you know the difference between a Pan-Am smile and a Duchenne smile? A Pan-Am smile is the kind you force when your aunt pulls out the camera for the millionth time at the family reunion. On the other hand, a Duchenne smile is the genuine kind where the corners of your mouth and eyes crinkle. Any guesses as to which one increases happiness?
Accordingly, I've made a resolution to increase the amount of Duchenne smiles that cross my face. When I'm happy, you'll know it. When I think your jokes are funny, you'll know it. And when I think your jokes are lame......you'll know it. I want to be genuine with my emotions.
I also think that drawing a Duchenne smile from others could be a lemon candle. Making people truly smile is the best!
That is so interesting! I always love learning about the power of a smile. I can remember the impact that smiling made on my life while serving my mission. I was serving in the hardest area and going through a really hard time. I remember praying in the morning that I could be happy, then forcing myself to smile. When I would finish the prayer, I would stand up and be happy. It turned into my favorite area! Thanks for your post!
ReplyDeleteI was recently reading similar literature on smiles! I am a strong believer that a real smile can actually make a person feel happier. As part of my major (Public Health) includes educating the American population on preventive medicine, I found smiling naturally to be very necessary for our societies overall health. I believe an ideal health is one brought on via natural medicine (fruits, veggies, smiling, etc,) Anther thing to add to your awesome post is that smiles are contagious :)
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