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For those who know me well, they know that beneath the fashionista and the foodie lies a nerd within. That nerd loves completing a to-do list, the feeling of thumbing through an unopened book at a book store, and abandoning her contact lenses for her mildly over-sized tortoise glasses on special scholarly occasions. That nerd also loves her a good Ted talk.


Some are better than others, and this one on smiling is--in my opinion--one of the best. I find the most attractive thing on another person to be their smile. Ron Gutman tells us we should do it more often.


"We're born smiling, even in the womb. Blind babies smile to the sound of the human voice.


It's the most universal form of expression for all humans.


Children smile as much as 400 times per day!


{photo c/o Mary Elizabeth Taylor}
The act of smiling itself makes us feel better.


{photo c/o Agape House Studio}
1 smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate.


{photo c/o Michelle Nash}
The same study found that smiling is as stimulating as receiving up to 16,000 pounds sterling in cash.


That's like 25 grand a smile. Not bad! 25,000 times 400--that means lots of kids feel like Mark Zuckerburg every day!"


So say sayonara to Monday blues by turning that frown upside down.