Ada+T’s+Final+AmEx+Speech+2016

“Say Cheese!”

There are things in life that we simply cannot live without. A smile is one of them. We may not realize it, but the act of smiling and laughing contributes to our daily lives.

There are numerous reasons for us to smile. But these next few I believe to be the most important for your daily life.

First, smiling can improve your mood. We, as humans, make various facial expressions to communicate our emotions and attitudes with others. And some studies have shown that as we make these facial expressions, the muscles influence the brain into feeling a certain emotion. This is why even a fake smile can trick your brain into feeling happy even when you are having a bad day.

Smiling also reduces stress. In a 2012 study published in the journal Psychological Science, two scientists studied 170 people. They were asked to participate in an experiment where they would each smile to a various degree while performing the same stressful task. The experiment revealed that subjects who smiled the biggest experienced a reduction in heart rate and quicker stress recovery compared to those whose expressions remained neutral. I found this study to be rather interesting, considering the fact that it is typical for us to frown whenever we are stressed.

Smiling also makes you more approachable. Whether you're at work or at school, people are attracted to a nice smile. And hey if you're ever looking for that special boy or girl in your life, now you know that you could win them over with a flash of your teeth. *smile and wink at the camera* Or if you smile with your mouth closed *smile with mouth closed and wink at the camera*. And you never know whose smile you'll end up falling for. I mean just look at how FDR’s Cheshire smile won over his own cousin.

Smiling also makes you seem more trustworthy. Going back to FDR, his smile seemed to do the trick. He gained respect, trust, and confidence from the people of America and in turn he was elected for 4 terms into presidency. Anyways, how could you ever doubt a caring smile filled with compassion and love.

Smiling as well as laughter, is very contagious! The next time you are grinning and giggling with a friend, notice that they can't help themselves but to smile right back at you. And why wouldn't you want to smile back to a beaming face. It’s human nature! Have you ever had those great moments where you and your buddies are engaged in a conversation where there are smiles flashing and every now and then you break out into bursts of laughter? You all are having such a great time that you never want to leave each other's company? All of this happens with the action of a humble smile. You feel the memories that are being made and the relationships that are growing. These are the simple type of moments that we live for. It brings us happiness. It brings us together.

Your productivity is also boosted when you smile. With a good mood and a smile on your face you are filled with positive energy and ready to take on the day's challenges. But when you are frowning and you have a bad mood you can feel drained, uninspired to work and desperate to just get things over with.

Lastly smiling is free! So why not take advantage of your own power to create happiness?

And now in an attempt to make you all smile, laugh, or even smirk, I'm going to tell you embarrassing stories about myself that happened throughout my life.

Okay so this first one happened at the Museum of Tolerance in LA during a field trip that our class had taken out there in the 8th grade. So I was walking to the restroom and I reached out both hands to open the door but for some unknown reason I turned my head back to see if anyone was following me. And it was at that moment when a woman from inside the restroom opened the door to leave, and with my head turned back and my hands extended out expecting to push open a door, I unintentionally grabbed her boobs. I was so humiliated, and she saw that I was too, so she just laughed it off and told me it was okay, but I was so uncomfortable and embarrassed that I couldn't even speak.

Another time in my 3th grade class, I was respectfully listening to my teachers lecture when I had the sudden urge to use the restroom, so I decided to quickly go and rush back so that I would not miss the lesson. But when I came back and sat down my table group began to laugh at me. It was then that I realized I still had toilet paper hanging out of butt. Don't even ask my how that happened, but it just did! Luckily I had only gone pee.

Ah what else, oh yeah! There was a time at the beach where I had emerged out of the water after having been tackled by a massive wave. And while I gasping for air, some strangers were staring at me with huge grins on their faces. I remember thinking “wow these people have never seen anyone get by a wave, they're so lame”. But the joke was on me when I realized my bathing suit top had been misplaced after the tumble and I had been flashing them my nipple the whole time.

Oh and do you guys remember that old saying “go suck an egg”? Well last year Raquel literally found a picture of me sucking an egg! I swear I do not remember taking that picture, but it's there. And she occasionally teases me about it and I think it's actually really hilarious.

But all those stories can't even compare to that one time in seventh grade where I literally peed all of Fitz's floor when he starting singing “my humps, my humps, my lovely camel humps”! Okay that last one didn't actually happen, it's just a joke Mr. Fitz and I have.

The fact that I'm up here, in the spotlight, in front of you all, telling you embarrassing stories about myself, is in itself embarrassing.

Now I don't consider myself to be a comedian or anything extreme like that, but I do enjoy making people laugh. I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when I do so, and it also makes me happy so why not?

I hope I have succeeded in making you all laugh or at least smile. And maybe you all think I'm weird now, but it's okay.

All I wanted to do is give you a reason to smile today, a reason to laugh, even if you're just laughing at me, not with me, I'm fine with that.

In the America I want to grow old in, I want everybody to find at least one reason to smile every day. Even through the rough times you will encounter, I want you to understand that life truly is worth living. Life is fun and adventurous and know that you are blessed with the opportunity to live it to the fullest. Alena Hall once stated “Great power lies in a random smile, so long as you choose to share it with the world”. In the America I want to grow old in I want you to harness your power to smile.

Thank you.


 * Sources:**
 * www.huffingtonpost.com/.../ **smiling **-benefits_n_6598840.html
 * me