#adds to personal serotonin boost album

[bear-cubs-art-things]

OH MY GOD I LOVE I LOVE IM ABOUT TO FUCKING E X P L O D E

Fallen Stars (and Thorns!!) art dump part two for today!! Some of the characters here belongs to @plushii-gutz , @bear-cubs-art-things and me :]

[top-dental-clinic-in-hyderabad]

Can Smiling More Actually Make You Happier? Avighna’s Says Yes!

Top Dental Clinic in Hyderabad ,Happiness isn’t just a state of mind; it’s a lifestyle choice that impacts every aspect of our lives. From our relationships to our professional growth, happiness has the power to transform our journey. In India, where traditions meet modernity, the pursuit of happiness often intertwines with celebrations, smiles, and cherished moments. Avighna’s, a leading name in wellness and lifestyle solutions, firmly believes in the transformative power of a smile. But can smiling more actually make you happier? Science and experience say yes! Let’s delve deeper into the reasons and how this simple act can influence not just individuals but also businesses and communities.

The Science Behind Smiling and Happiness

Smiling Releases Feel-Good Chemicals

When you smile, your brain releases dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin—natural mood boosters. This biochemical reaction reduces stress and promotes a sense of well-being. A 2019 study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin found that smiling can indeed make people feel happier.

The Feedback Loop of Happiness

Smiling doesn’t just reflect happiness; it can create it. This is known as the facial feedback hypothesis, which suggests that facial expressions can influence emotional experiences. So, even a forced smile can eventually lead to genuine feelings of happiness.

Improved Mental Health

Regular smiling reduces cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. This can lead to better mental clarity, improved productivity, and stronger interpersonal relationships.

Smiling and Wedding Photography Trends in India

In India, weddings are grand celebrations filled with emotions, rituals, and countless smiles. Capturing these moments has evolved into an art form. Let’s explore how smiling plays a central role in the latest wedding photography trends.

1. Candid Moments Rule the Frame

Gone are the days of stiff, posed wedding portraits. Today’s couples prefer candid shots that capture authentic emotions. A genuine smile during a heartfelt moment often becomes the highlight of wedding albums.

2. Pre-Wedding Shoots with a Smile

Pre-wedding photography has become a must-have for modern couples. Smiling couples against picturesque backdrops—whether in Jaipur’s palaces or Goa’s beaches—are a common sight.

3. Family and Friends’ Happiness

Photographers now focus on capturing not just the couple but also the joy and smiles of family and friends. These moments reflect the true essence of Indian weddings.

4. Slow-Motion Smiles in Wedding Films

Cinematic wedding films often include slow-motion shots of the bride’s shy smile or the groom’s elated grin. These elements add a touch of romance and magic.

Smiling in Business: Why It Matters for Entrepreneurs and Professionals

Smiling isn’t just personal; it’s a professional tool that can impact business growth. For entrepreneurs, developers, and students, a smile can be the key to building connections and fostering trust.

1. Smiling Builds Trust

In a business meeting, a smile can make you appear approachable and trustworthy. This is crucial for startups looking to establish credibility.

2. Enhances Team Morale

For business owners, a smile can be a simple yet effective way to boost team morale. Happy teams are more productive and innovative.

3. Client Relations

Smiling while interacting with clients, whether in person or virtually, can leave a lasting impression. It’s an essential soft skill that every professional should master.

Avighna’s Wellness Solutions: Helping You Smile Brighter

Avighna’s offers a range of solutions designed to bring more smiles into your life. From wellness programs to dental care, our holistic approach ensures that you’re always putting your best smile forward.

Top Dental Clinic in Hyderabad

Maintaining oral health is key to a confident smile. Avighna’s collaborates with the Top Dental Clinic in Hyderabad to provide cutting-edge treatments that prioritize your dental wellness.

Special Offer: Smile Makeover Packages

For a limited time, enjoy up to 20% off on smile makeover packages. Rediscover your confidence with expert care tailored to your needs.

Smiling and SEO in Warangal

Digital marketing professionals understand the importance of engaging content and happy visuals. Incorporating smiling faces into your website or social media can:

Increase Engagement: Posts featuring smiling faces often receive higher engagement rates.

Boost Brand Image: A smiling team photo can make your brand appear more relatable and trustworthy.

Improve Conversion Rates: Happiness is contagious, and happy visuals can encourage users to take action.

Avighna’s also provides specialized digital marketing services, including SEO in Warangal, ensuring your business gets the visibility it deserves.

Experts Weigh In: Quotes on Smiling and Happiness

Dr. Asha Reddy, Psychologist: “Smiling is a simple yet powerful way to improve mental health. It can create a ripple effect of positivity, influencing those around you.”

Karthik Rao, Wedding Photographer: “The best wedding shots are always the ones where people forget about the camera and smile genuinely. It’s pure magic.”

Statistical Insights

According to a study by Harvard Business Review, smiling can make you appear more competent and likable.

Indian weddings contribute over $50 billion annually to the economy, with wedding photography making up a significant portion of this market.

FAQs

1. Can smiling really reduce stress? Yes, smiling releases endorphins and serotonin, which help reduce stress levels.

2. How can I improve my smile? Regular dental check-ups, maintaining oral hygiene, and consulting the Top Dental Clinic in Hyderabad can help.

3. How does smiling impact professional relationships? A smile makes you appear approachable and trustworthy, fostering stronger professional connections.

Conclusion: Smile Your Way to Happiness with Avighna’s

Smiling is more than just a facial expression; it’s a lifestyle choice that can transform your personal and professional life. Whether you’re a bride looking to capture the perfect wedding moment, a business owner aiming to build trust, or someone looking to enhance their smile, Avighna’s has the solutions for you. Remember, happiness starts with a smile, and at Avighna’s, we’re here to make that smile brighter.

[thisselflovecamebacktome]

All the little reasons (so far) why The 1 is my tied favourite off of Folklore

Continuation of 'classic Taylor’ patterns:

The 1 helps to carry on the tradition Taylor has put into her albums since RED where the beginning of the stories actually starts with song three. The first two songs are instead used to heavily allude to the story and themes about to be told but aren’t directly part of them and especially not the beginning of them. 

In RED, we get State of Grace which alludes to the intense love and positive side of “red” emotions with hints of ignoring red flags whereas Red shows the painful and negative “red” emotions and alludes to the themes of heartbreak. 

In 1989 we get Welcome To New York, alluding to trying to get past someone and new beginnings before transitioning into Blank Space indicating that the opinions of others, particularly surrounding her dating, is something that was going to cause issues.

In Reputation we got ...Ready For It, where the verses again show a somewhat satirical take of how people see the both of them in a dark, “edgy” beat that is often used for “angry” tracks mixed with a “softer” tune more used for happier music for the chorus where she talks about being alone with him and doing what she actually wants to. Then we get End Game which serves as a contrast and connecting piece to the “angry/unhealthy” and “happy/healthy” sides of the album. We get the big declaration of love and showy attitude with hints of insecurity because that’s ultimately what Taylor saw as love in the past which contrasts with the quieter moments of love in the later half of the album such as squeezing hands in a cab or building metaphorical fires in locked up houses to keep each other warm.

In Lover we get I Forgot That You Existed to indicate the theme of figuring out who and what’s truly important in life before moving onto Cruel Summer which not only shows the theme of holding onto each other when things are rough, but the importance of communication in a relationship.

And what about Folklore? The 1 and Cardigan brings us into the fantasy world of Folklore by first asking “What If?” and reminding us that life is full of choices and those choices matter in the grand scheme of things. While the rest of the album tells seemingly unquestionable stories relying on how the characters actually felt, The 1 and Cardigan both rely on nostalgia before reminding us right at the end of each song that that wasn’t how the story went and that certain choices were the reason for that... Which leads me to my next point:

One thing being different would not have made everything different today:

As I previously mentioned, one of the major themes of Folklore is that choices matter. Another interlocking theme is that things just don’t happen out of the blue. The choices we make add up and can cause a perfect storm. 

Looking at this through the lens of the love triangle, in order for James to be in the position he’s in in “Betty”, it wasn’t enough that August happened to be there. The guy Betty was dancing with had to ask her to dance, James had to feel insecure about it AND be immature enough to sulk and leave rather than telling Betty how he felt, August had to show up when she did, James had to make the continuous choice to spend the Summer with August, Inez had to tell Betty what happened and finally Betty had to be offended enough to break up with James. The situation the three of them found themselves in could have been prevented at several different points, making it impossible to say if one thing had been different, it all would have been. 

Despite the lyric, The 1 also shows that one thing being different wasn’t likely to have the desired effect of the pair ending up together through several lyrics throughout the song.

In my defence I have none for never leaving well enough alone - This gives the implication that the narrator was prone to starting arguments over topics that didn’t need to be fought over.

If you wanted me you really should have shown it - The narrator shows that the other person didn’t make it seem like a serious long term relationship was an option. Though this could have been a miscommunication, it also implied to me that the other person wasn’t ready to settle down and acted as such meaning that a long term relationship probably wasn’t on the cards.

Rose flowing with your chosen family.... In my defence I have none - So I’m going to go into this a bit later because it relates to a couple of the reasons I love this song, but in short, the narrator impliedly did not make an effort with aspects of the other person’s life, in this case loved ones, that meant a lot to them nor did the narrator have those aspects for themselves.

But it would have been fun if you would have been the one - Connecting this reason with the theme of nostalgia, I find the word ‘fun�� an interesting choice from a songwriter who tends to use intense words like ‘magical’, ‘fearless’, ‘permanent’, ‘wild’ and even ‘really something’ to describe the loves of her life. In comparison, ‘fun’ feels very casual. While not a choice of the relationship, the use of the word along with lack of hard moments shown in the song does imply to me that the narrator has based this ‘what if’ on pure nostalgia and makes me assume that there several reasons things turned out like they did.

Its links with other songs on the album:

Anyone who knows me knows that my favourite aspect of an album is feeling like I got something out of listening to those songs in that order together that I couldn’t have gotten from listening to the songs alone. Often this comes from contrasts in songs like how I mentioned End Game’s production and lyrics contrast the back end of Reputation, relatability like how 22 is in between All Too Well and I Almost Do because that time with her friends is merely distracting her from her pain or hearing how the same things can be seen differently like how WANEGBT, Stayx3 and The Last Time come one after another to show the relationship was on and off, why she stayed in said relationship and those same traits that kept her staying were now why she was at the end of her rope with said relationship. Really in general RED as an album is a brilliant example because while a lot of people don’t get it, the whiplash of positive and negative songs really does represent what it’s like to be in that kind of toxic relationship.

But I’m not here to talk about RED or Reputation, I’m here to to talk about Folklore. While many people would probably say that the love triangle songs are the best representation of what I’m talking about, I honestly think The 1 and Peace are the two songs that most benefit from the context of the other songs in the album. Specifically, The 1 benefits in the following ways in my honest opinion:

The 1 serves as the other side of the same coin to Invisible String. The 1 discusses a relationship where circumstances didn’t line up to make it work whereas Invisible String describes a relationship where the stars aligned and it all did work out. Further, The 1 asks the question ‘what if things were different and this one relationship worked out?’ and Invisible String answers with ‘well thank goodness it didn’t’.

You know the greatest films of all time were never made versus I think I’ve seen this film before: the automatic assumption and link that the love in Exile was not either of their greatest loves.

If you never bleed you’re never going to grow links so well with But now I’m bleeding and Peter losing Wendy from Cardigan.

Though it’s not connected with other Folklore lyrics, the little links of things like never leaving well enough alone being in The 1 and past songs (in this case ME!) and the Sad Beautiful Tragic vibe that the second prechorus of The 1 gives always brings a smile to my face.

And finally, my favourite parallel of this whole album:

In my defence I have [no chosen family] and its link with Family that I chose now that I see your brother as my brother from Peace. To me, this parallel brings together everything I have said so far. It brings the album together and once again reinforces that a theme in Folklore is how choices dictate our lives. The fact that somewhere along the lines the narrator realised that there didn’t have to be a ‘his loved ones’ and ‘her loved ones’ and made the effort and choice to incorporate themselves into their partner’s life and found that to be an important part of why they are working out in a way they didn’t with their past partners lives rent free in my mind, heart and soul everyday, not going to lie. Like I don’t know how to explain it, but that link alone just added so much to both of those songs for me personally.

Other little things:

This song is beyond relatable. Like I could not tell you one person who doesn’t have that one past thing or relationship, romantic or otherwise, they wish could have been different and fantasise/romanticise what that would have looked like.

The 1 and August are the two funnest songs to sing to from Folklore and even though both are relatively sad lyrically, always give me a good boost of serotonin when I sing them.

Relating to the two points above, singing “In my defence I have none” loudly when you don’t have family and feel like none of your wishes like me ever came true feels like free therapy lmao.

While I know Taylor didn’t write The 1 from a fully autobiographical point of view, the idea of her seeing one of her multimillionaire exes at the bus stop makes me laugh every time.

It’s a grower. While it was always in my top six, as I mentioned in the title, it’s in a three way tie with August and Exile as my favourite song from Folklore right now.

All in all I just really love this song and all the tiny little details that make it amazing and honestly think it’s a very underrated song in Taylor’s discography.

[sarahburness]

There Are a Gazillion Little Ways to Be Kind (and It Benefits You Too)

“The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands.” ~Robert M. Pirsig

One day while grocery shopping I was reaching for a head of lettuce when I heard a shrill, high-pitched wail from a few aisles over. It sent shivers up my spine. It was one of those sounds that grabs your breath and pulls it to your heart.

It brought me back to a time I had long forgotten—a memory engrained in my brain from about twenty-two years ago when my children were toddlers. I remember those days of being exhausted and trying to wrap up the weekly shopping trip before the tantrum.

Most people in the store tried to ignore it, but the shrieks came like contractions about every six minutes. People started rolling their eyes. One lady commented that children shouldn't be allowed in stores. I felt really bad for this parent. I mean, we were all children once, right? It’s pretty rude to fault the parent for something that occurs naturally as a part of being human.

Eventually, as I filled my cart, I ended up in the same aisle as the mom and child. Mom was spent. There was a Ziploc bag of Cheerios tucked next to the child and a stuffed animal that had probably been picked up off the floor of the isle about fifty times.

It is during times like these when we, as humans, need to pause and show some compassion. As a woman, I wanted to support a fellow sister. As a parent, I wanted to support a fellow parent. As a human, I wanted to let her know that stuff like this happens and it's okay, and in a few years she'll laugh telling stories like these.

What I wanted to convey is that this was simply a very human moment.

I think we've conditioned ourselves to overlook many things in life—to shrug it off, roll our eyes, and simply walk away. We evade interaction on a very basic level. We miss so many opportunities to extend our human kindness to each other.

We live in a fast-paced world; we’re always on the go. We’re too worried about getting from Point A to Point B. Our brains are filled with thoughts and worries. We’re trying to stay two steps ahead of ourselves. Often this results in the failure to stop and do something nice for someone else.

I think what’s happened in the world today is that we see poverty, abuse, disease, war, hunger, bullying, and violence so often that it is overwhelming. We feel dispirited. What we must remember, no matter how distressing the news is, that we have the power to make a change. It starts with us understanding that because we are human we have been bestowed with the power to change the world with kindness.

What we need to remember is that when we offer kindness to strangers we not only brighten their day, we brighten our own. When we express kindness to each other we establish or strengthen connections with each other. Sometimes it’s just a fabulous reminder of our humanness.

The beautiful thing about kindness is that it lives in your heart. It’s always there waiting to come out and make an appearance. You always know it’s a true kindness when you don’t expect anything in return, like gratitude or reciprocation; you simply want to make someone feel better.

Also, kindness is good for your health. Being kind regulates our heart rate; we get a warm, cozy feeling. Our brain releases dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, all of which make us happy. And oxytocin also reduces inflammation in the heart, so kindness is literally good for your heart!

Committing regular acts of kindness or simply showing kindness to others on a regular basis lowers blood pressure and reduces your chances of dying early.

Regular practice of kindness also decreases pain and anxiety while giving your energy a boost.

What are the human benefits of kindness?

* Kindness builds empathy. It can help us to put ourselves in another's shoes. It encourages us to do nice things for others because we would like others to do nice things for us.

* Kindness builds gratitude. We look at the situations others are experiencing and we become grateful for what we have. Even when it's not a lot, we can find the gratitude easier when we are kind to others.

* Kindness creates a ripple effect of kindness. One simple act of kindness can put a smile on someone's face for the rest of the day. It can make someone feel good. In their energy of feeling better that they, chances are they are going to say something nice or do something good for another person, and that baton of good feelings will get handed to another as the days go on.

* Kindness gives a boost to our own self-worth as well as to the self-worth of the person we are giving the kindness.

* Kindness is calming. It gives a new perspective for us to step away from a woe and allow that warm, cozy feeling to run through our veins.

* When we are kind, we become a better human. Everything about us changes. Our demeanor, outlook, and our way of thinking. We become a conduit of hope.

As for me in the grocery store? I played peak-a-boo for two aisles. I managed to get a smile and the baby’s tears dried up. She even offered me a Cheerio, which I pretended to eat.

Something as simple as a childhood game relieved a bit of stress for another parent. It was a very simple act of kindness that didn’t cost a thing. To the mom, it was an unsaid acknowledgement of “You’re not alone and I understand what you’re going through.” It really is that simple.

What did I walk away with? Well… I had pulled up some memories from a quarter century ago that made me smile. That evening when I got home I actually pulled out the kids old photo albums and started to recall my own adventures with them. I felt good knowing that I didn't add to someone else's stress by being rude or uncaring, and I made a child smile. I think that's a pretty good day.

You don’t have to wait until you see a screaming child in the grocery store; there are a gazillion little ways to spread kindness:

Hold the door for someone (even if you are running late).

Smile at people.

Give up your seat on the bus or train.

When you see a homeless person, look them in the eye and offer them a meal.

Stop at an accident to see if anyone needs help.

Help a parent get their baby stroller up the stairs.

Volunteer somewhere.

Let someone ahead of you in traffic without complaining.

Help someone reach something off the high shelf.

Visit an elderly neighbor.

Buy lemonade from a child’s stand.

Tell someone you love their outfit or hair.

Tell someone they are a good parent.

Leave a generous tip.

Offer someone a tissue if they are crying.

Do you have anything to add to the list?

About Sheila Burke

Sheila Burke is the founder of Being Better Humans and ZenSational Living.  She has authored several books including four Being Better Humans Quote Books. Her latest book, I AM WHAT’S WRONG (fall, 2018) is available for pre-order on BeingBetterHumans.com. For bits of good news and daily inspiration follow Sheila on Being Better Humans Facebook, Zensational Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Amazon.

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