expressions-of-emotion

Poised Positioning_ Be mindful of how you use your body to communicate._ Be fully present in the moment._ Be thoughtful and gracious in your actions._ Be fluid and elegant in your movements._ Express flow__alk in freedom and spontaneity._ Develop an unshakeable sense of authentic inner confidence and certainty._ Develop a deep respect for others._ Move slower and more deliberately._ Walk in integrity, class, and modesty._ Smile kindly and laugh softly._ Become a student of manners and etiquette.

My friend Julie was cooking dinner in her kitchen one night. Her expression was blank as she stood alone working by herself. Her daughter walked in and gasped, __om! What__ wrong?_ She said __othing. I__ fine._ In response, her daughter added, __hen tell your face! You scared me!_ Emotional expressions can easily be misinterpreted when we are not aware of what people are seeing. Being deep in thought can look that way.

Smiling is truly one of the most generous gifts you can give to another. You never know when your smile may inspire the sad, encourage the hopeless, heal a heart, or change someone's world for the better.

Proper posture conveys that you are ready to take command and master new situations. When you project this level of confidence, you will instill confidence in others.

Your smile is a magnet for goodwill and positivity. In unison with your attitude, people gravitate to happy people!

What are you projecting? How are you showing up? Are you aware of how your expressions are impacting your communication with others?

You would be surprised how even the simplest of smiles can ease a social situation, encourage another, remove barriers, and dissolve differences. It is not only a gift to the recipient, but you will receive affirming returns on your investment.

When you see people smiling, does it give you a sense of connection with them? The law of reciprocity illustrates it is hard to not smile back when someone smiles at you.

I attended a symposium to hear Shilagh Mirgain, Ph.D. speak on Mindful Leadership. Throughout her program, I made sure to make eye contact and smile to support, affirm, and engage with her presentation. When audience members do this for me, it adds an extra punch of dynamic energy that enriches my presentations and improves my performance.

No matter your age, a smile makes you look and feel better. People spend billions of dollars every year to get pumped, pulled, tucked, and tweaked in hopes of being more beautiful. But there is nothing like a genuine smile to transform your appearance and provide an instant facelift.

12 Ways to Improve & Project Confident Posture1. Go people watching. Note how you interpret the different postures you observe. This will expand your awareness of how posture impacts first impressions and will help you become more aware of yours.2. Stand in front of a mirror to see what other people are seeing. Are your shoulders level? Are your hips level? Do you appear aligned? Are you projecting confidence or timidity?3. Take posture pictures to provide you with points of reference and a baseline over time. Look at past photos of yourself.4. Stand with your back against a wall and align your spine.5. Evenly balance on both feet, spaced hip-width apart.6. Take yoga or Pilates classes to strengthen your core muscles, improve flexibility, and balance, all which support your posture.7. Consciously pull your shoulders back, stand erect with chin held high.8. Practice tucking in your stomach, pulling your shoulders back, raising your chin, and looking straight ahead.9. Sit up straight without being rigid.10. Enter a room like you belong there or own it.11. Stand with an open stance to be welcoming and approachable.12. Angle your body towards the person to whom you are speaking. Angling your body away may signify that you are indifferent, fearful, putting up a barrier, or trying to get away from them.

9 Reasons Why Improving Your Posture is ImportantBy projecting strength and excellence in your physical presence, you will. . . 1. Look better and feel better.2. Appear, and be, more fit and healthy.3. Powerfully influence your mindset.4. Appear more confident, self-assured, and competent.5. Carry yourself with more purpose and intention.6. Breathe deeper and get more oxygen in your body, which will improve your energy and health.7. Reduce or prevent back pain and muscle tension.8. Improve productivity by energizing your physiology.9. Make a significantly more positive impression.

As the saying goes, "Smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone._ Smiling is a universal symbol of happiness that transcends language and communication challenges.

Research has shown that smiling releases endorphins__he happy hormones that shift your physiology for improved well-being. When you smile and your eyes crinkle, your body releases chemicals that change the chemistry of your brain, lifting spirits, and reducing pain. Even when it is hard to smile and you are forcing it, positive changes take place in your physiology.

When you are sitting behind a desk with a person on the other side, there is a barrier between you that becomes a psychological and subliminal message. Some of the best leaders I know have a round table or a circle of chairs in their offices so that when people come in to speak with them, the arrangement lends itself to more engaging interaction. Using a roundtable in which there is no head fosters collaboration, cooperation, mutual respect, and equal positioning.

Smiling Bloopers_ Insincere smiling can backfire! (Different from a shy smile that just beckons a friendly "hello.")_ Transitioning from a smile to a straight face, too quickly, may give others the impression that you are fake or do not like them._ Going overboard and smiling all the time, especially when it is inappropriate, will make you appear insincere._ If your mouth smiles, but your eyes don__, there is a disconnect that can make you appear less authentic and trustworthy.

We are more likely to trust a person who is easier to read; they're easier to believe. Or we tend to think that an energetic and happy person will be more productive. Even traits such as competence, dominance, and courage can be conveyed by certain facial expressions and will stimulate unconscious bias.

Smiling reduces blood pressure by lowering the stress-inducing hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. As my mother, who is now in her eighties, navigates the challenges of aging, her mantra has become, __eep moving and keep smiling._ She has observed the rapid decline of her friends who haven__. She is striving to stay strong, happy, and vital; her desire to smile is helping her to live a healthier, more satisfying, and longer life.