SMILE

General 3 Minutes

In today’s ever depressing world, finding a reason to smile might seem futile, but smiling provides a lot of great benefits for the body and soul!

Smiling Helps You Live Longer

Perhaps the most compelling reason to smile is that it may lengthen your overall lifespan. One 2010 study found that genuine, intense smiling is associated with longer life. Overall, happy people seem to enjoy better health and longevity, though more research is needed to understand why that is. Research does suggest that happiness could increase lifespan by years—suggesting maintaining a happy, positive mood may be an important part of living a healthy lifestyle.

Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can permeate our entire being, and it can really show up in our faces. Smiling not only helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed but it can actually help decrease stress. Believe it or not, smiling can reduce stress even if you don’t feel like smiling or even if you fake it with a smile that isn’t genuine. When you are stressed, take the time to put on a smile. You and those around you will reap the benefits.

Smiling Elevates Mood

Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There’s a good chance your mood will change for the better. The physical act of smiling actually activates pathways in your brain that influence your emotional state—meaning that by adopting a happy facial expression, you can “trick” your mind into entering a state of happiness. This holds true whether or not your smile is real. A simple smile can trigger the release of neuropeptides that improve your neural communication, as well as neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which can boost your mood. Think of smiling like a natural antidepressant.

Smiling Is Contagious

How many times have you heard that a smile has the power to light up the room? While it is certainly a beautiful sentiment, it carries a hint of truth. Smiling not only has the ability to elevate your mood, but it can also change the moods of others for the better. Your brain automatically notices and interprets other people’s facial expressions—and sometimes, you may even mimic them. That means that you might spot someone else’s smile and unconsciously smile yourself. Yes, it is scientifically proven that smiles are contagious.

Smiling Boosts the Immune System

Smiling can also boost your overall health by helping your immune system to function more effectively. It is thought that when you smile, immune function improves because you are more relaxed (thanks to the release of certain neurotransmitters). Whether you’re trying to maintain your overall health or strengthen your immune system ahead of cold and flu season, smiling may help.

Smiling May Lower Blood Pressure

Smiling could have a beneficial impact on your blood pressure. Laughter specifically seems to lower blood pressure, after causing an initial increase in heart rate and breathing. While smiling has been shown to lower your heart rate in the face of stress, more research is needed to determine exactly how it reduces blood pressure. You can try testing this idea for yourself if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes and take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

Smiling Reduces Pain

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, other natural painkillers, and serotonin. Together, these brain chemicals make us feel good from head to toe. Not only do they elevate your mood, but they also relax your body and reduce physical pain. Smiling is a natural drug.

Smiling Makes You Attractive

We are naturally drawn to people who smile. While more severe or negative facial expressions like frowns, scowls, and grimaces work in the opposite manner, effectively pushing people away, smiling is seen as more attractive—and people may even assume you have more positive personality traits if you’re smiling. Not only can smiling make you more attractive, but it can also make you look more youthful. The muscles we use to smile also lift the face, making a person appear younger. So instead of opting for a facelift, just try smiling your way through the day—you’ll look younger and feel better.

Smiling Suggests Success

Research has shown that people who smile regularly appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and are more likely to be approached. Try putting on a smile at meetings and business appointments. You might find that people react to you differently.

Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It’s hard, isn’t it? Smiling can influence your feelings of positivity, even if it feels unnatural or forced. Regardless of whether or not your smile is genuine, it still sends the message that “Life is good!” to your brain and, ultimately, the rest of your body.

Some parting pictures to help you along with your smile today…

Source: verywellmind.com: 10 Big Benefits of Smiling

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Published by pat frederick

Published

141 thoughts on “SMILE”

  1. Morning All!
    awfully windy here, but it looks like we got a little more rain last night, and the clouds are gone.
    we saw an 8 point buck in velvet last night at the apple blocks…his rack was thick and tall–it may end up to be bigger than an 8

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Morning, Pat! Windy here, too – when isn’t it windy here??? I was going to mow this morning, but then I realized that would NOT be good since they are calling for 99, 100, 98 for the next 3 days – what lawn I have would burn up! So I’ll go out and water early and leave it at that; getting my hair cut at 2:15, thankfully.

      WADR, what on earth got into you, woman??? A pic of that despicable MIC??!!??!! Oh, puke!!!! Having lodged that complaint (tee-hee), I know for a fact the difference a smile can make, even when you are on the phone. Put a smile on your face and it comes across on the phone lines – I tried it at ResoleAmerica – and it works!!!! People are MUCH more pleasant and it makes customer service much easier.

      When I first got to the Pentagon, as I was walking the halls, I always smiled at people or said good morning. Many smiled back but most looked at me askance, like “Do I know you?” What??? You have to “know” someone in order to smile at them or say good morning??!!?? Other times, I would be out with my hubby or friends and would smile and say hi to someone. People would ask, “Who was that?” I’d shrug and say IDK – “You mean you don’t even know them?” “No” “Then why did you smile and say hi?” And that was back in the late ’70’s!!!!

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Morning Filly!
        I included it because nothing said confidence–without having a reason to BE confident–like that jackass’s smile.
        I, too, am a smiler–I smile at erbody. Mostly i get smiles in return–sometime I don’t…I don’t care.
        Dolly Partton said…Smile, it increases your face value…LOL

        Liked by 3 people

        1. Oh, yeah! It was just from all the bending doing the laundry, flipping the mattress, etc., etc. Just sore muscles. Thanks! Got a notice my butterflies should be here tomorrow and the mattress pad on Thursday.

          Liked by 2 people

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  9. Good morning y’all! Been super busy lately. Ms. Mama sprained her ankle yesterday before work, rolled it stepping on a walnut in the yard. Took care of her yesterday and she is staying home today and tomorrow to rest it. Had her take some anti-inflamatory and put ice on it. Looked less swollen this morning. Hope all is well with you guys, not much new to report on my end.

    Liked by 3 people

      1. Good morning Pat! We had some pillows propped under her foot last night, seemed to help lessen the swelling. I have tomorrow, then Mon-Thurs next week. Thursday is street clothes and checking out from work. Can’t wait!

        Liked by 3 people

    2. Oooh – ouch! I would add to Pat’s advice – wrap it in an ace bandage. That’s what I did when I stepped on a stick under the hay in the barn in VA and went down hard. I really sprained it good but with the ace bandage, I was still able to go to work every day – I was the shipping/receiving person so was on my feet a lot, which actually helped with the swelling. It actually didn’t even hurt much as long as I didn’t push it and I couldn’t drive for a couple of days because pushing the clutch in was too much. Luckily, my roomie, Tom, worked at Vint Hill, too, so I just rode with him. But then, too, I was a heck of a lot younger then so……

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Good morning Filly! I do need to get some more ace bandages. Wore out all the old ones at work with wrist sprains mostly.

        Liked by 2 people

  10. what a crock…SHE doesn’t own the stock…they think we’re stupid…congressional loopholes

    FTA
    “It certainly raises the specter that Paul Pelosi could have access to some insider legislative information,” Craig Holman, a government affairs lobbyist for the left-wing think tank Public Citizen, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “This is the reason why there is a stock trading app that exclusively monitors Paul’s trading activity and then its followers do likewise.”

    Fox Business reached out to Pelosi’s office for comment on the purchase and they responded by asserting that the Speaker herself does not own the stocks.

    “The Speaker does not own any stocks. As you can see from the required disclosures, with which the Speaker fully cooperates, these transactions are marked ‘SP’ for Spouse. The Speaker has no prior knowledge or subsequent involvement in any transactions,” Nancy Pelosi’s spokesman, Drew Hammill, said in a statement to FOX Business.

    https://timcast.com/news/pelosis-office-responds-to-her-husbands-computer-chip-stock-purchase-ahead-of-house-vote/

    Liked by 2 people

  16. I commend this young woman for confronting the stupid mob protesting in defense of Sundberg (she was the intended victim)…wth is wrong with the left?
    FTA
    The story has generated quite a bit of Twitter activity, including this from Benjamin Crump:

    This is Tekle Sundberg. Minneapolis Police Department killed this smart, loving & artistic 20-year-old after an hours-long standoff while he was experiencing a mental health crisis. We need ANSWERS from MPD as to why Tekle’s mental health crisis became a death sentence! pic.twitter.com/MuxrzxcHL0

    — Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) July 16, 2022

    Crump’s take has not been well received. This, for example, comes from Matt Walsh:

    Sunberg was trying to murder a woman and her two children, you soulless lying asshole

    — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) July 17, 2022

    https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2022/07/the-victim-speaks.php

    Liked by 1 person

    1. that’s an illusion …

      the money comes right back … to the “Mafia” (the call themselves “the gov’t”)

      and they’re here to protect you.

      Liked by 2 people

  18. G’morning …

    still dealing with hvac problems … “this too shall pass” …

    glad you got some rain Pat … it’s comin back our way today, wish I could send it your way!

    Wonderful Open … love all the smiles!

    will stop back by later … have a good day you guys …

    Liked by 1 person

        1. I plan to except for when I have to go out to get my hair cut – no A/C on truck but hey, it’s about 3 minutes away so I think I’ll survive. LOL – then a stop at the store – yep, gotta order another case of jelly now that all the fledglings are showing up.

          Liked by 2 people

  20. EXCERPT: ““After the experience of Nazi-Fascism,” one cannot “sacrifice the single individual for the collective interest.” – Judge Susanna Zanda

    The Judge of the second section of the Civil Court of Florence, Susanna Zanda, signed an emergency decree on July 6th ordering the reinstatement of a psychologist who was suspended by the state board for not being “vaccinated.”

    In her decision, Judge Zanda criticized the efficacy and safety of the “experimental” vaccine, stating that their possible harmful effects are not fully known. In addition, the Judge mentioned evidence that the injections are “so invasive that they infiltrate and change the cellular DNA of people who have been “vaccinated.” Judge Zanda cited article 32 of the Constitution that “after the experience of Nazi-Fascism,” one cannot “sacrifice a single individual for the collective interest.” Furthermore, it does it allow an individual “to be subjected to invasive medical trials without free, informed consent.”

    The Judge’s emergency decree temporarily suspended the Order of Psychologists of Tuscany provision prohibiting the doctor from practicing as a psychologist. Instead, after an eight-month suspension, the psychologist can now practice “in any modality (in-person and remotely) in the same way as her vaccinated colleagues.

    The lawsuit between the psychologist and Order will resume on September 15, 2022, but at least for now, Judge Zanda agreed with the psychologist. “The suspension of the exercise of the profession – the reasons state – risks compromising the primary assets of the individual such as the right to support and the right to work.”

    https://rairfoundation.com/italian-judge-reinstates-unvaxxed-psychologist-rules-experimental-covid-injections-infiltrate-and-alter-dna-video/

    Liked by 2 people

  21. EXCERPT: “A three-year-old healthy little girl, Ambar Maite Catán, died after being forced by the Argentinian government to be “vaccinated.” Ambar’s distraught mother, Miryam, recounted the heartbreaking story of her daughter’s senseless death in a television interview. The mother not only holds the government responsible for “killing” her child but vowed to fight the government to protect other children from receiving the dangerous and deadly experimental Covid injections.

    The little girl passed away on Thursday, December 16, 2021, but her story, like many who died following the covid injections, went unreported by the U.S. left-wing news. The day after Ambar passed away, the mother told reporters that her 3-year-old girl died from the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine required for her to enter kindergarten. Argentina approved the vaccine for children between three and eleven in October 2021.

    On Wednesday, the perfectly healthy child received her first controversial Covid vaccine injection at the Hippodrome [Covid vaccination hub], and then the next day, she dropped dead.

    Miryam blames the government for requiring Covid vaccines: ‘They tell us to get vaccinated repeatedly. They tell us to get our children vaccinated repeatedly. I know it is the vaccine that made my 3-year-old daughter die. It did because my daughter was a healthy child.

    That son of a bitch government forces us to get vaccinated. They made my 3-year-old baby die. She was really healthy. She had no pathology; she was not a sick child. She was a healthy child.’ In addition, Miryam explained how the events happened the morning her child died:”

    https://rairfoundation.com/mother-accuses-government-of-murdering-3-year-old-girl-son-of-a-btches-forced-us-to-get-vaccinated-interview/

    Liked by 1 person

          1. those 2 types of flowers, the deer do not touch for some reason…but if i try to plant anything new? oh my…stampede to taste and destroy…LOL

            Like

              1. these lists are not proven by my deer–they will eat anything and everything when it’s young and tender and they are hungry.
                gosh-i had a woman give me a dozen hostas–deer don’t eat hers she said. BUT she rarely sees ANY deer where she lives.
                they munched them down every dang time they sprouted out of the ground

                Like

  25. talking out of both sides of their faces…the match up ducey/pence vs lake/trump…
    FTA
    How do we know Ducey has been co-opted? Because when Lake left her career in television journalism, Ducey speculated that perhaps she should run for office in 2022. On a recent appearance with Megyn Kelly, Lake read the text message that Ducey sent her.

    “I’m not going to, you know, sit here and trash him but I will say I’m reading a message that he sent me the day that I resigned from my career and, by the way, I was always fair to him in my career,” she said. “I interviewed him on several occasions and I was always fair to him.”

    According to Lake, the text message reads, “Kari, congratulations on your great career to date. You are really one of the good guys. Tough, fair, talented, and a real person. It’s all in such short supply today and you will be missed. If I can be helpful in any way please ask. Excited to see what’s next. Maybe Lake 2022?”

    The call to run in 2022 was political banter on Ducey’s part, but the noteworthy comment is that he pointed out Lake is a “real person.” This runs contrary to his current Swamp-prescribed narrative that she’s “Fake Lake,” a moniker they adopted in a desperate effort to smear her. In all of his comments about the race, he’s reading from the Swamp’s script.

    https://thelibertydaily.com/kari-lake-delivers-receipts-showing-rino-doug-ducey-is-doing-the-swamps-bidding/

    Liked by 2 people

  26. liberty daily is running the american thinker article about moochelle being a man. I think it’s suspicious they are doing so. but, like everything, I have a theory…LOL
    in the article the author SHOWS records where moochelle was registered as a man on her voter registration record…then 14 years later, that is corrected from male to female on her voting record. These are tangible–in print–on file records. anybody can get them. BUT the author dismissed them, without proof, as a clerical error. an error that took 14 years to correct? (time frame? “her husband” was running for president by then iirc)
    so if moochelle is considering being the next puppet president, they are clearly trying to get ahead of this…saying it’s been debunked as usual…

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Liked by 2 people

  29. Pelosi is headed to Taiwan …

    Not in her job description as Speaker of House,

    but definitely fits Mafia ‘enforcer’ …

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Fact: Taiwan is PART of China

        Fact: Cabal (Mafia) has ‘colonized’ Taiwan, same as they did with NK (thro US/NATO) –

        Fac:t: US is BROKE… as is NATO/EU…

        there’s more but you get the gist

        Liked by 1 person

        1. i thought only shyna said taiwan was a part of them…otherwise why the threat to invade them? and why are we “protecting” taiwan? i am confused phoenix!

          Liked by 1 person

          1. China does not need to invade Taiwan… US uses their narrative as an excuse to go to war with China…

            The Khazarians are already at war with Russia by proxy in Ukraine… now they want to stir things up with China … it’s because Putin is destroying the Cabal militarily and economically … US Gov’t is black hat . Trump exposed that …

            Liked by 1 person

  30. You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake. – Bob Hope
    —————
    You know you’re getting old when the rocking chair feels like a roller coaster.
    —————
    Knock, Knock.
    Who’s there?
    A little old lady.
    A little old lady who?
    I had no idea you could yodel.
    —————-
    Older people shouldn’t eat healthy food. They need all the preservatives they can get.
    —————-
    My wife was worried about getting older, so before she woke up on her birthday, I cut off all the white hairs she had. For some reason, she woke up bald and with a bad attitude.
    —————–
    One good thing about getting older and having a shorter memory: I can hide my own Easter Eggs.

    Why can’t you take pictures of old men with walking sticks? You take pictures with cameras, not walking sticks!

    What do you get when you freeze dentures? Frostbite.

    Do you want to know the secret to getting a smoking hot body at your age? Cremation.

    Liked by 1 person

  31. I was at the Senior Center today and failed a Health and Safety course that was put on for us old folks…One of the questions was: “In the event of a fire, what steps would you take?” “Fuckin’ big ones” was apparently the wrong answer.
    ————-
    A senior citizen drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of the dealership. Taking off down the road, he floored it to 80 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little gray hair he had left. “Amazing,” he thought as he flew down I-94, pushing the pedal even more. Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw a state trooper behind him, lights flashing and siren blaring. He floored it to 100 mp…h, then 110, then 120. Suddenly he thought, “What am I doing? I’m too old for this,” and pulled over to await the trooper’s arrival. Pulling in behind him, the trooper walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch, and said, “Sir, my shift ends in 30 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason for speeding that I’ve never heard before, I’ll let you go.”

    The old gentleman paused. Then he said, “Years ago, my wife ran off with a State trooper. I thought you were bringing her back.”

    “Have a good day, sir,” replied the trooper
    ————–
    A senior nun walks in on an novice…… who was vigourously masturbating with a cob of corn. The Mother Superior says: “That’s disgusting! I was going to eat that, and you know I hate the taste of corn!”
    ————–
    A law firm receptionist answered the phone the morning after the firm’s senior partner had passed away unexpectedly. “Is Mr. Smith there?”, asked the client on the phone. “I’m very sorry, but Mr. Smith passed away last night,” the receptionist answered.

    “Is Mr. Smith there?”, repeated the client. The receptionist was perplexed. “Perhaps you didn’t understand me I’m afraid Mr. Smith passed away last night.”

    “Is Mr. Smith there?”, asked the client again. “Ma’am, do you understand what I’m saying?”, said the exasperated receptionist. “Mr. Smith is DEAD!”

    “I understand you perfectly,” the client sighed. “I just can’t hear it often enough.”
    —————

    Liked by 1 person

  33. EXCERPT: “The Biden administration likely violated federal law by issuing an executive order and guidance equating sex and gender identity without a proper rulemaking, plausibly pressuring 20 states to change their laws recognizing sex-based rights or risk losing “substantial federal funding,” U.S. District Judge Charles Atchley Jr. ruled late Friday.

    The preliminary injunction, issued the same day the University of Pennsylvania nominated transgender swimmer Lia Thomas as NCAA Woman of the Year, said the White House and agencies wrongly invoked the Supreme Court’s ruling in a transgender employment case to justify the changes.

    The ruling is a major win for Republican attorneys general led by Tennessee’s Herbert Slattery, who sued the administration last summer for allegedly violating the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by unilaterally redefining federal law to not only prohibit male-female distinctions in school sports, restrooms and locker rooms, but also compel employers to use employees’ preferred pronouns.

    Last year, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which governs Atchley’s court, prohibited a public university from compelling a Christian professor to use a student’s preferred pronouns. Shawnee State University paid Nicholas Meriwether $400,000 in an April settlement.

    The injunction again confirms the Department of Education (DOE) “cannot pretend a ‘guidance document’ is merely advisory while simultaneously threatening to enforce its terms,” Joe Cohn, legislative and policy director for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, told Just the News.”

    https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/feds-misquoted-scotus-require-states-let-boys-girls-restrooms-judge

    Liked by 1 person

  36. for the love of mike!
    i just spent over an hour moving kindling in the basement because hubby put the big box of it on TOP of the box i store nice boxes to package my crafts in to take to stores. Only to find he BURNED all those boxes months ago…smh
    when I came up to scold him, he had a face he could have only perfected as a unobeident child…sad brown eyes…sigh

    Liked by 2 people

  37. Moss Roses are blooming – these are the pots I put in front of the Clematis to provide shade for the roots – it’s working! The one I thought was dying has new leaves on it! That one is really small yet and hidden behind the Roses. The bird whirly-gig in the pot on the right was made by Marilyn’s hubby. She gave me both pots. They’ve been going on for, what, 5 years now? Same for the ones in the tub in front.

    These are the CA Poppies – I was very lazy about planting the seeds, plus the Turtle Doves are always in that bed picking at something. I figured it was thistle seed that fell from the feeder above but it could be they also ate some of these seeds. Whatever, they’re a pretty yellow anyway. There are probably at least 20 or more in this bed but only 5 or 6 are blooming. One is blooming in the other bed.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. Whoa! Imagine my surprise – my phone beeped and I had FOUR missed calls from P!!!! Holy cow! I immediately called her back but got only VM……I left a msg…..sure hope she calls me back! Dang it! I was outside jimmy-rigging the matchstick blind so I could see the birds better and missed them. Since this phone is AT&T, I don’t get great reception – the calls started at 10:43 with 3 more in rapid succession but I just now got the notification. Dang it! I’m guessing it was a mistake but I sure hope not…….cross your fingers! Guess I need to start carrying my phone with me…..I’ll do it if it means not missing a call from her!

    Liked by 1 person

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  42. stupid story…can’t bring myself to bring it…black family got a lawyer to sue Sesame Place in philly because a character did not high 5 the kids–and hugged a white girl–so they think it’s racism…
    looking for $$$$$$$

    Liked by 1 person

  43. can’t vouch for the veracity…but…couldn’t ignore it either
    copied from tcth

    Betsy jones
    Betsy jones
    July 19, 2022 12:33 pm

    Public Service Announcement

    Just watched a TikTok video which I can’t post..BUT…

    A mother showed a box of Old El Paso Tostado shells which said on the front of the box “”3 Ingredients”.

    HOWEVER…on the side of this box under the listed 3 ingredients was the following:

    “Contains BIOENGINEERED food ingredients”

    She downloaded an app…YUKA…and scanned the box, and what came up said for this product the bioengineered ingredients in it could induce cancer of the stomach and thyroide and is capable of ALTERING THE STRUCTURE of genetic material.

    I have always thought interfering with our food was always going to be a way to alter the human genome. It seems I am not a conspiracy theorist.

    Please please, people, start reading the labels of the things you buy at the grocery store.

    And please share the heck out of this information!🙏

    Liked by 1 person

      1. OK – just got back. The didn’t have the tostados but they had a box of tacos that said 3 ingredients on the front; on the side, 4 ingredients were listed….some weird kind of butter, don’t remember the term now, salt and 2 other normal ingredients. At the bottom was, indeed, a statement that they included “genetic” ingredients, i.e., GMO. So there ya’ go!

        Liked by 2 people

          1. No problemo – there was a couple new to town in the same aisle (white woman/black guy) and, since I didn’t have my reading glasses, I asked her to read it for me – served 2 purposes – filling my need and educating them. She was stunned and said “thank you for pointing that out – I never knew!” We had a really nice chat right there in the aisle for probably 10 minutes! She loves horses, too! Her hubby loves racing and asked for my opinion on Bob Baffert – I gave him a thumbs down and he said “NO!!!! He’s the best!!!” I said he is crooked, but, then, most of them are anyway. Had a very enjoyable convo and had them ROFL with my surgery story. LOL

            Liked by 1 person

  49. gees…I lost track of time rooting around in the basement for darned boxes…sigh
    and i got dusty and itchy…
    had to take a bath…
    what did I miss?
    has ultra maggot resigned yet???

    Liked by 1 person

  50. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Liked by 1 person

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