How to win friends with a smile

When you smile, does the world smile with you?  If not, you could be doing it the wrong way, according to a German anthropologist who's been investigating the effect smiling and laughter have on others.

Volunteers were shown video films of people laughing and smiling in different ways and asked to rate them for sincerity and friendliness, according to the magazine New Scientist.  Analysis of the ratings produced the following tips for those who would like to win friend and influence and people:

• never smile for longer than seven seconds - and be sure to blink at the same time.  A longer beam with widely open eyes is interpreted as aggressive.
• widen your mouth quickly when you laugh and briefly close your eyes after the climax of the laugh if you're anxious to appear friendly (lots to remember!).
• to seem friendlier still, avoid looking into the face of the person you are with immediately after reopening your eyes.

It may sound a bit far-fetched, but may prove very useful for vote-winning politicians, public relations people and others whose professional success depends on public approval.

As the song goes in the musical Annie:  'you're never fully dressed without a smile!'.

Ways to Change Your Life

1. Get a promotion
2. Listen to your partner
3. Write your first novel
4. Wear sun screen all year round
5. Edit your wardrobe
6. Eat properly
7. Buy a dermaroller
8. Find out how happy couples stay happy
9. Have a baby before you're 33
10. Review your investments
11. Be a good parent
12. Get the right healthcare
13. Get a new best friend
14. Slow down
15. Don't join a gym
16. Have an open mind about sex
17. Think yourself happy
18. Find a man with a low disgust factor
19. Release your inner Judy Garland
20. Take time to stare at the night sky
21. Get some sun
22. Start saving for next Christmas
23. Improve your networking skills
24. If you're not enjoying your job, quit
25. Do some voluntary work
26. Learn something every day
27. Be a good friend
28. Eat less
29. Enjoy being near water
30. Go to bed early
31. Regularly enjoy the outdoors
32. And .... eat less chocolate?

Hands and Smiles - from The Lions

If I stretch out my hand to you, will you put your hand in mine?

If I smile and say, “How are you?” will you take it as a sign

That all I want is your friendship, I’m not asking for anything more.

So put you hand in mine because that’s what hands are for.

If your hands are in your pockets, then they are hidden out of the way

One thing you can be sure of though, they’ll never go astray

But think of all the other things they’ll never do.

They’ll never work for others and they’ll do much less for you.

So if I stretch my hand to you, will you put your hand in mine?

Perhaps we’ll start a chain of friendly people, all in line

Our chain will reach forever, cos we’ll gather more and more.

So put your hands in mine because that’s what hands are for

Author unknown

SMILING

Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu

When someone smiled at me today I started smiling too

I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin

When he smiled I realised I’d passed it on to him

I thought about that smile then realised its worth

A single smile just like mine could travel round the earth

So if you feel a smile begin don’t leave it undetected

Let’s start an epidemic quick and get the world infested

Anon

(With thanks to Alan Walker, one of the Paignton Lions)