In lieu of an article this week, I thought I’d share The Optimist Creed. This creed is from the organization Optimist International. I take no credit in writing this. I thought it would be useful for everyone (including myself) to start implementing, so I decided to share. Here it is:
Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something special about them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
Next week, we’ll feature a health related article. Stay tuned!
The film version of The Sound of Music, released in 1965, continues to dazzle audiences up until today. As a result of its 50 year span, generation upon generation rediscover the film and realize what a true spectacle it was (and continues to be) in the film industry. It is one of the highest grossing films of all time. The National Film Registry is a special part of the United States Library of Congress. Its goal is to, “is to ensure the survival, conservation, and increased public availability of America’s film heritage.” Only the most prestigious American films are inducted into the registry. In 2001, The Sound of Music was selected to be a part of the National Film Registry. It was regarded as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Due to The Sound of Music’s continued success, there must be some salient points that set it apart from the rest. There are many comprehensive reviews of the film all over the internet, so this piece is not intended to be a review. Rather, it will be an in-depth analysis as to what has made the film resonate with so many people each decade.
The primary ingredient to the success of the film was the casting of Julie Andrews. Ernest Lehman, the screenwriter, stated that his one and only choice for the lead role of Maria von Trapp was Julie Andrews. The director, Robert Wise, had considered three actresses to play the lead role: Julie Andrews, Grace Kelly, and Shirley Jones. Mrs. Andrews did have some reservations about the role, because there were disparities between the original musical and the film. However, after speaking with Lehman and Wise, and hearing their vision of the film, she signed on for the role. Her casting was paramount because the film rested on her shoulders. The role involved a culmination of singing, acting, and dancing. Andrews was perfect for the role due to her agile, light, and wide ranging voice. In addition, her acting had an effortless quality to it because she was doing it for the joy of acting first and foremost as opposed to monetary gain. It is evident that this film was truly written with her in mind.
Although there are quite a few differences between what truly happened historically, the musical, and the film, the film retains three important themes. I firmly believe that these themes are the core of the film’s longevity in the industry. They are:
Love: The Sound of Music is many things, but it is first and foremost a love story. Love exists in so many different shapes and forms. Throughout history, philosophers struggle with defining love. However, the love between Maria and Captain von Trapp is central to the film. Whether it is their first waltz, or after when the Captain sees Maria again after she resumes her role as the governess, their love is unbreakable. In addition, Maria uses singing and dancing to build love between the children, demonstrating another type of love.
Happiness: The film is centered on positive emotions, which will always trump negativity. One of the strongest points of the film is that no matter what the von Trapp children planned against Maria, she always took it in good stride. Also, the songs themselves and Andrews’ voice were light and fresh. They encouraged happiness rather than sorrow. When Maria left, it was clear that the children lost their joy and spark in singing. Andrews actually stated herself that she didn’t go into opera because she wanted to sing songs that were “bright and sunny”, rather than the solemn tone of opera. The sunny quality permeates the film, and has been essential to its success.
Family: The importance of family life in The Sound of Music is the third and final theme vital to its success. Maria provided a very important role for the von Trapp family, one of a mother figure. Not only was she able to awaken hidden talent (such as Captain von Trapp’s penchant for music) but she was also able to enhance the relationship between the Captain and his children. She proved to the family that joy and happiness are the best way to overcome difficulty. Even in the tensest moments of the film toward the end, they stayed together as one unit. They proved that through strong family ties, you can “Climb Every Mountain”.
As The Sound of Music celebrates its golden anniversary, we can see how significant the film is in history. The themes are universal and suitable for any time, regardless of the current state of affairs in the world. Film has the power to change society. Time and time again people are inspired by film. Lady Gaga’s widely acclaimed Sound of Music medley at this year’s Oscars, which was viewed by approximately 37 million people in the United States, proves that the film still has enough life in it for another 50 years. If modern Hollywood films incorporated the themes of love, happiness, and family more frequently with genuine talent, who knows, it may have a chain effect on society’s actions and behavior. In essence, this film is unique in many ways yet relatable. If you haven’t seen it yet, I urge you to watch it and relish in its glorious message of hope.
Smiling is one of the earliest and most basic facial expressions. It normally develops around six to eight weeks of age and indicates many emotions, the main one being happiness. Every day we hear or read in the news about so many depressing stories. Perhaps we have a bad day at work/school. Maybe our loved ones are causing us great social and emotional pain. However, it’s important to not give up on humanity and have a positive approach. Positivity will solve problems. It will bring people together towards peace and harmony. It has the power to mend relationships.
The key to smiling more often is to think of reasons to smile. First and foremost, being grateful for what you have can trigger a smile. Every morning and/or evening, take some time to think about the skills, talents, and possessions you have. Think of those who are not so fortunate, and be thankful. My article on Thanksgiving (see here) goes into a lot more detail about being grateful, so I highly suggest referring to it before continuing.
There are many health benefits in smiling. First, it releases endorphins. Endorphins are colloquially known as “happy hormones” that are released when you are engaged in an activity (for example working out) because they tend to reduce the perception of pain/stress, resulting in a euphoric state. Second, smiling can have an effect on oxytocin, a hormone that plays an important role in intimacy. Although the smile doesn’t have a direct effect, a study by Ellingsen et al. shows that smiling can lead to human touch, which has a direct correlation to oxytocin levels. The study demonstrated that subjects who were shown smiling faces were seen as, “more friendly and attractive” compared to frowning ones. Therefore, smiling can have an amplifying effect on human touch. Third, smiling can be helpful in coping with stress. A study by Kraft and Pressman showed that people who smiled had, “lower heart rates during stress recovery” than those who kept a neutral facial expression.
Many of us have heard the saying, “smiling is contagious.” A neuroimaging study by Wild et al. proves this to be true. The scientists in this study combined a functional MRI, which measures brain activity, with comprehension and implementation of facial expressions. They found a higher correlation of congruence when the subjects viewed a happy face compared to a neutral or sad one. In other words, when the subjects saw a happy face, there was a shorter time interval to mimic that facial expression compared to a frown or neutral facial expression.
Last but not least, it is very important for a smile to emanate from the heart. These kinds of smiles are the most sincere, and therefore can expand the health benefits of smiling. There are two types of smiling: smiling and Duchenne smiling. Duchenne smiling is more consistent with sincere smiling while smiling can be seen by some as “fake”. Duchenne smiling anatomically involves the zygomatic major muscle (raises the corners of the mouth) and orbicularis orbis muscle (squinting of the eyes), while smiling involves the former but not the latter. An authentic smile can help develop charisma and have other social benefits.
Overall, smiling is a powerful tool of social expression that can be used all of the time. The health benefits are many, the social outcome is favorable, and it doesn’t cost anything. We need people to smile more in the world. Everyone has their own hardships and burdens, but that doesn’t give us a reason to not smile. Be grateful for the good things you have in life (especially compared to others), and live, love, laugh. The next time you see a loved one or co-worker, smile upon first glance, and see for yourself what a difference it makes!
Bronze Lifestyle 
