Smile, Grin, Laugh

  

    

 

You can only hold a smile for so long, after that it's just teeth (Chuck Palahniuk). Nothing makes you more acutely aware of the truth to this than walking onstage and trying to hold that smile. Scientifically, you can only hold that smile for a few seconds then it starts to look fake. So how do you last the full walk without looking like you’re just baring your teeth?

When I do my walk, I say a mantra in my head “Smile...Grin...Laugh.” I start out with a smile. When I feel my smile starting to fade I focus on someone off stage and give them a grin, which naturally makes me laugh for doing something silly. Laughing does a couple of things. One, it releases the tension I feel for being onstage. Second, my smile looks more genuine and it makes me look happy to be there.

So when you get on that stage, don’t just smile. This July I expect to see your beautiful smiling, grinning and laughing faces on that national stage!!!

Carly Peeters

Miss Teen International 2017