Oct 05, 2004 10:34 PM
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*You say you love; but with a smile
Cold as sunrise in September,
As you were Saint Cupid's nun,
And kept his weeks of Ember.
O love me truly!*
These words by John Keats sum up everything I want to say. Nevertheless, let me proceed and tell you what I think of this very enigmatic and infectious expression.
SMILE-That one word that has evoked the imagination of millions irrespective of whether those teeming souls are poets, philosophers, scientists(Yes remember that oft-repeated quote about more muscles being exercised for a frown as compared to a few for a smile?) and even those accused of being evil and satanic condemned to have committed egregious acts in the history of mankind.
How is it that the very word smile no matter what kind of tenor or voice utters it, instantly and very magically transforms every facial expression of anger, grief, envy, disappointment and love, ecstasy and kindness into a smiling face. Just try this out. Whenever you are feeling down, look at someone smiling. Mind you not laughing. There may be no mirth experienced but as if it’s a reflex, you tend to, for a moment, forget everything. This might sound very romantic and too mushy to be true but every time you look at those Anne-Geddes pictures in card galleries, you would feel different if not full of mirth and excitement.
Now you might ask if this is as fulfilling and beneficial as it sounds, how come when you randomly choose a guy walking on the road, 9/10 times, the person wouldn’t be smiling?(I know a lot of readers might right now want to tell me- So, you think you are the only smart one to have thought about this and you’ve attempted to write a review on this underrating everyone else’s intelligence! Huh?) Just how come everybody needs a reason to smile?
How incredibly dumb of me to suggest that you keep smiling and make a fool of yourself in the next presentation you need to make in front of senior executives or the next time your patient comes and tells you he has an upset stomach!
That is where you got me wrong, my friend. For this is not a review on Smile Vs Frown. Nor is it going to throw any light whatsoever in the efficacy of a smile in getting you a pat on the back or a yes for a proposal you made to your prospective girlfriend.(Ok finally this jerk of a girl figured out what exactly she is supposed to talk about, a sigh there!)
The following pointers are supposed to be taken with truckloads of salt, pepper, garam masala etc. These few things have enabled me to maintain a smile in the most difficult of circumstances.(Yeah I mean the psychological variety) Hope these would help you too.
1) Smile for smile’s sake
I am not sure Bernard Shaw would have the same opinion about smile that he did for art but I definitely believe that the day you start using smile as a weapon, as a manipulative trick or a tool, that’s the day you have stopped smiling. It’s very difficult to sustain any emotion that has been provoked be it anger or joy. Similarly it’s equally tough to maintain a smile if you need a purpose to do so.
For a smile is not supposed to help you get a pay hike and not even another smile from people around you, its purpose is to have no purpose. It exists because it does. Now then, I do not intend to sound like Albert Einstein overfed on Brahmi multiplied by 100 but its true. You smile simply because you want to smile. No reasons attached.
2) Stress Vs Smile
How stressful can stress get? And assuming that you have had a terrible day when Murphy’s Law held its own, how long can you maintain a frown? Not long. Then let’s wager. Let it be a tussle between those sad eyes and just a smile. Not heartfelt but just a blank smile. Try this and the chances are that you would either start smiling at the stupidity of it all or smile simply because a frown yet again would require too much of an effort. So smile wins hands down.
3) Was that a smile?
If you are really conservative and choose to extend your habit to be economical to smile as well, you might ask, ’hey let me smile just a quarter; ok one third but not more, please’. Would you want to? Again, why are you smiling? Whom are you smiling at? And if you are smiling just because you want to, why not reserve the very best for yourself. Smile the fullest and most heartfelt one.
4) Gift everyone a smile
Another thought that you always need to keep in mind is that whenever you do not feel like smiling, think about how many people close to you would have smiled had you showered your million dollar smile on every well-wisher of yours? If you cannot get yourself to remember to keep smiling, remember that one of the best gifts you could give to everybody who means a lot to you is the ability to stay happy and an infectious smile is the kindergarten for this.
5) Lets get back to the real world
Now then, what if I want to smile but have yellowish teeth, chapped lips, dentures or braces, incessant cough n cold?
Alternatively, what if I do not have that trillion dollar Madhuri or Madhubala or Marlyn or some really pretty girl’s smile?(and you thought I would go on with that M series to describe Manoj Kumar or Mukri’s smile…)
Hello. For one, if you have yellowish teeth, all I can say is brush twice daily. If its chapped lips, you have a chap stick. Dentures, braces, cough and cold….C’mon if you keep smiling all the time, people would start wondering what makes you do that all the while. And that would ensure that the above mentioned aren’t the ones getting attention, it’s your smile that does the trick. Moreover, as far as cough n cold are concerned, the more you smile, the more air you take in, the better you feel. Ok Ok that was a bad one!
Phew! For all of this what do I get in return?
First of all, you get people around you either envying you or dismissing you as crazy. And in my view, both are equally enviable states to be in.
Secondly, remember that Cadbury’s Dairy Milk ad wherein everyone is smiling and enjoying a CDM? Go ahead smile, feel special and treat yourself to one.
Thirdly, you desperately want to prove your I-don’t- care act. Just start smiling often and that would be ‘touche’.
Now a few of my favourite quotes to ensure that if my review doesn’t help in maintaining a smile, remembering these quotes might….
*A smile is the light in the window that lets people know you’re at home.
A smile is a facelift that's in everyone's price range!
When I see your smile, and I know it's not for me, that's when I'll miss you.
One who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger.
A smile is the chosen vehicle of all ambiguities.*
Do not forget to RRC this review.
Keerti
- Thank You! We appreciate your effort.