Anatomy of A Smile
by Bill · Filed Under: Uncategorized
Smiling!
Even as we read the word and think of its meaning we smile inside. It’s just the nature of things or the Spirit within us that yearns for a moment of happiness expressed in the simple, almost effortless movement of our face, especially when another person is doing it and directed at us.
It’s been said that it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown. I’ve heard something like 43 to frown and only 17 to smile. While most of us assume that’s a true statement, it’s not. Opps, sorry did I just bust your bubble and make you frown? I apologize for that and I’m giving you a great big warm smile to show you my sincerity. With a little research we all can find out that there are only about 37 facial muscles, so the numbers just don’t add up.
As a matter of fact others have written much on this subject and a plastic surgeon by the name of Dr. David Song has been interviewed and he concludes that it takes 1 more muscle to smile than it does to frown. Hmmmm…. Very interesting.
So as I wonder about this and read much on the subject, I’m convinced that there will never be a definitive answer for us. So why do I even bring this up? Well, for one thing I feel good when I smile. I feel good when someone smiles at me. And the opposite is true of course for the frown. Now I have a vested interest in people’s lives, fitness, health and wellness. The smile is one extension of what I’m about. I like to think about that one extra muscle and whether a person knows it or not, that smile at me means all the more because it took more effort.
So let’s think about it for a moment. You can see all over my site there is much about fitness, nutrition, workouts, energy, weights, cardio, exhaustion, sweat equity and the like. I wanted for us to just take a moment and think about exercising those facial muscles, more specifically the ones that create the smile. No barbells, no resistance bands (unless you count the ones in our braces) and no sweat pouring off us. Just good old fashion, think about it and do it! Walk around all day today. Smile at everyone you encounter. Smile at your dog (of course we all do that), smile at your neighbor, smile at the checkout clerk, smile at the deputy giving you a ticket, just smile!
You will no doubt alter someone’s day and it just could be yours. So go exercise those muscles!
So let me leave this with you….If you found these musings about smiling worth a thought or two of your time today, please SHARE this post by clicking the Share button below and then tweeting it up top. Thank you so much for stopping by today!
Hi Bill,
I guess it’s because most people are bought up in a negative environment and we watch the news, hear bad stories and are told not to do things. We start to frown also when we are thinking and I can feel my eyebrows frowning frequently when I’m relaxing or concentrating hard.
Relaxing the eyebrows is important every so often, and smiling helps us to do that
Thanks
Gavin Mountford
Hey Bill,
Zig Ziglar makes me smile. Boy, can he tell a story, and the way he tells it too – his voice, the way he uses his voice. Love it. “and she had a banana smile.. ” or something like that. My biz is about smiles. U Smile communications.
Great post, thanks!
Hey Bill,
Now that is an exercise program I would gladly sign up to! Smiling is simply reminding to tell our faces that we are happy, and for those times when we are not, we can still choose to smile and if we feel like it even be happy again..
Thanks for the great post and for bringing our smiles back
Johneal
Bill, the fact that you wrote a post about smiling makes me smile. It is quite fitting that you should do so because smiling is all about wellness in so many ways. And it adds beauty to any face at any age. You have a great smile yourself. Keep smiling and be well.