The Empowerment Couple
The Empowerment Couple Podcast: Helping you soulfully heal your body, bank, bond, and boldness!
Welcome to The Empowerment Couple Podcast—your go-to frequency for embodied healing, conscious leadership, sacred love, and soul-aligned wealth. Hosted by empowerment coaches and real-life partners Zuri and Mikey Star, this weekly show delivers punchy insights, deep coaching moments, and radical truth-telling for lovers, leaders, and legacy builders.
Each episode brings you transformative tools across our four signature pillars:
Wellness Mastery – nervous system healing, somatic rituals, intuitive health
Wealth Expansion – abundance mindset, money energetics, business elevation
Sacred Relationships – conscious love, polarity, communication mastery
Embodied Leadership – decision clarity, consistency codes, soulful success
From Breakthrough Bytes to full-length coaching episodes, we blend science, strategy, and spirituality to help you ditch the patterns that keep you stuck—so you can rise, receive, and lead with purpose.
Whether you're healing from burnout, rebuilding trust, launching your next level, or navigating big love — we got you.
Tune in to transform. Stay to rise.
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The Empowerment Couple
Smiling Medicine: How Your Smile Rewires Your Nervous System and Boosts Your Mood Instantly
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Discover the extraordinary power of your smile as we explore how this simple facial expression works as free medicine for your mind, body, and spirit. The science behind smiling reveals a fascinating connection between your facial muscles and brain chemistry - when you smile, your brain releases dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, creating an instant mood boost and stress reduction. A 2010 study even found that people who smiled during stressful tasks had lower heart rates and quicker recovery times.
Beyond the biochemical response, your smile activates the vagus nerve, which serves as the superhighway between your brain and relaxation response. This shifts you out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-digest mode, creating a profound sense of safety in your nervous system. As we discuss the emotional and energetic effects, you'll understand why smiling is literally contagious - mirror neurons in the brain cause others to automatically mimic your smile, making it a powerful co-regulation tool that helps others feel safe and joyful just by being in your presence.
We share practical ways to incorporate smile medicine into your daily life, from smiling when you first wake up to using your smile before difficult conversations or performances. Mike shares a powerful story about how smiling during a police stop completely changed the interaction's outcome, while I reveal how I coach clients to use smiling to overcome performance anxiety and stage fright. Whether you're looking to enhance your professional presence, improve your relationships, or simply boost your own wellbeing, this episode offers a simple yet profound practice that costs nothing but changes everything.
Try our weekly challenge: smile intentionally five times each day and notice what shifts. Share your smile selfies with us on Instagram @theempowermentcouple - let's start a smile revolution together!
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Introduction to Smile Medicine
Speaker 1The mic just made us stop so he could grab something off the ledge of my office window and I was fully like, oh no, like I've seen way too many romantic comedies. Because I was like what's he doing? Is he giving me a big gift? Am I getting a big gift right now?
Speaker 2But you know what, though it?
Speaker 1was tape from when we painted.
Speaker 2But you know why? You thought that Because you were smiling, your expectations were so high. You were like oh my God, I'm open, this could happen.
Speaker 1Or less than an hour ago, I gave you a present unexpected.
Speaker 2That is correct.
Speaker 1So maybe I was just like, oh, it's going to come back to me.
Speaker 2Oh, we're having a gift war, so that's what it is that was pretty smooth if you're ever gonna give me a gift.
Speaker 1Do it like that, that was so smooth. I was like oh, I got like butterflies, yeah, okay. Well, I'll take some tape.
Speaker 2It was blue tape, you know this is blue.
Speaker 1Welcome to the Empowerment Couple podcast, where your path to self-mastery expands.
Speaker 2My co-host is empowerment coach Zuri Starr.
Speaker 1And he's expansion coach Mikey Starr.
Speaker 2Together we are the Empowerment Couple Our mission is simple to serve you, love so you can make informed decisions to regain and maintain your personal power. We'll take you on a journey to a life filled with purpose, passion and limitless possibilities, while sharing stories of transformation, wellness hacks and healthy habits backed by science and ancient wisdom.
Speaker 1Plus, we'll keep you entertained with engaging games, banter and funny innuendos along the way. Each episode is an exciting blend of education, entertainment and empowerment designed to help you create a mindset to be a magnet for more love, happiness and abundance.
Speaker 2Together with our special guests. We are dedicated to sharing information that empowers you to create your most beautiful life. A one Z in the Tuesday your most beautiful life.
Speaker 1I got nothing. I got nothing.
Speaker 2I forgot.
Speaker 1Okay, so tell me about.
Speaker 2so tell me about this Tell me about this what do I get Wait, wait. Tell me something about myself. You made an observation about myself. What was that?
Speaker 1Mike and I always dance, as you know before, like real dance, not just like stand up and like, hey yo, we're dancing on Zoom. Not that kind of dancing Like real dance, like we get out of breath dance.
Speaker 2Yes, that is one of our rituals before we hop on the microphone.
Speaker 1Yes, and Mike just told me that I have a dance dimple.
Speaker 2A dancing dimple. Basically, it comes out when you are dancing. It only comes out when you dance.
Speaker 1I have a dimple period. One, only one. I'm lopsided. I have a dimple period. One, only one. I'm lopsided, I have one dimple and it comes out. Other times, but you're saying it comes out probably more often.
Speaker 2A lot when you are dancing it's like a third eye, but on your cheek. You know what I'm saying. It's just like, hey, what's up?
Speaker 1It's trying to sweet talk you and spitting me around a little bit more. There you go.
Speaker 2I was trying to sweet talk, you, and you were spitting me around a little bit more.
Speaker 1There you go, there you go. It's probably when I'm trying to be cute.
Speaker 2Comes out when you are truly smiling.
Speaker 1Yes, really happy. Not a fake smile, not a eek.
Speaker 2Speaking of smiles.
Speaker 1Speaking of smiles, what did we just dance to?
Speaker 2We actually just danced to. Actually no one here has heard this yet it is yet to be released.
Speaker 1We are dancing to one of my unreleased songs.
Speaker 2Uh-huh.
Speaker 1And it was the first time that we've danced to one of my unreleased songs and it's super exciting, super fun.
Speaker 2In a number of years.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean, it's been a long time since I've had an unreleased song, yes, so-.
Speaker 2But we used to dance to them all the time. Yes this is true, yeah, but and your dimple was present during each of those.
Speaker 1I had to work on my dimple game here. So that brings us to what we are talking about today.
Speaker 2Which is the power of your smile.
Speaker 1Smiling. The whole world is better when you smile. Obviously, if you've tuned into our show before, you know we smile a lot, you can probably hear it in our voice.
Speaker 2And we are also very much into free medicine.
Speaker 1We are, and so today's episode is Smiling Medicine how your smile rewires your nervous system System and Boosts your Mood Instantly.
Speaker 2Instantly.
Speaker 1This episode explores the science and energetics behind smiling, how it activates your parasympathetic nervous system, boosts feel-good neurotransmitters and rewires your body towards peace, presence and possibility.
Speaker 2Smiling is free. The Holy Trinity.
Speaker 1Smiling is free medicine. Yo, sorry, I had to hit you, that's okay. And yet so many of us forget to use smile medicine, and it's literally everyone can do it.
Speaker 2Exactly. You have a juggernaut of powers at your disposal. Let's go.
The Science Behind Smiling
Speaker 1All you got to do is you know smile.
Speaker 2Smile medicine. Let's go.
Speaker 1All you got to do is you know, Smile, smile, smile, smile, smile Smile Smile Smile Smile, smile, smile, smile, smile, smile, smile, smile Smile Smile Smile Smile Smile, smile, smile, smile Smile.
Speaker 2I would do it on a regular basis.
Speaker 1Right. And so we're just really here to remind you to smile, because smiling is medicine, it's a nervous system hack, a confidence booster, a spiritual alignment tool, and today we are diving deep, deep, deep deep in that water, so you want to share a little moment about smiling.
Speaker 2Well, here's the deal. I've always been told that smiling can get you out of the worst predicaments. Right, and I'm going to rewind the tape. About a year ago, we were driving in a bus and I got pulled over for no apparent reason.
Speaker 1Oh, we know why you got pulled over.
Speaker 2For no apparent reason, I wasn't speeding.
Speaker 1No, apparent, I wasn't tailgating.
Speaker 2You know there was no apparent reason, and yet I get pulled over. He wasn't tailgating. There was no apparent reason, and yet I get pulled over.
Speaker 1He wasn't doing anything illegal other than just being.
Speaker 2Happy and.
Speaker 1Yeah, black Black.
Speaker 2Okay, let's just put that out there Exactly. Anyways, I got pulled over and I'm like I was instantly in a bad mood because I knew what was happening, right, but I knew exactly what to do, right. Smiling will get you out of the worst scenarios right.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2Anyways, sure enough, I smiled the whole way and the guy you know basically could have given me a ticket for something that didn't happen. And yet the interaction between me and the cop ended with him smiling and shaking my hand.
Speaker 1And then asking about your POS? No MOS.
Speaker 2MOS. I always call it POS POS. That's a different thing altogether, I know and I'm like it's.
Speaker 1POS and they're like no, it's not, it's MOS, because I like sounded it out in my head. I'm like oh, no's not, it's MOS, because I like sounded it out in my head, oh, no, I immediately switched to.
Speaker 2you know Marine Corps jargon and all that stuff. Yes, yes, and I also was, but the smile was there the whole time and at the end.
Speaker 1I was smiling too.
Speaker 2He was smiling.
Speaker 1With my phone out.
Speaker 2Exactly, but there was no ticket given. Hey, all I can say is the smile set the stage for the event that I really wanted, which was me driving off with no ticket.
Speaker 1Okay, no ticket, no ticket you know what I'm saying. Okay, sassy fan.
Speaker 2In the wrong state. Yes, in the wrong place to get pulled over yeah exactly Harassment could have come my way had I operated with a frown.
Speaker 1Well, yeah, you know what? I'm saying you don't want to be a mean mugging mofo when you're getting pulled over.
Speaker 2I could have gotten a new pair of handcuffs for no reason.
Speaker 1Yes, you know, what I'm saying. For just having that bad vibes.
Speaker 2For being amazing. You know what I mean, simply for being amazing.
Speaker 1Well, let's dive into the science.
Speaker 2But what was your story? The shotgun Are you just saying? You were smiling the whole time.
Speaker 1Well, I didn't expect you to monologue for so long, so Okay. I was going to carry on.
Speaker 2Got it, let's cut to the chase. Yeah, ditto.
Speaker 1So let's dig into the chase. Yeah, Ditto. So let's dig into the science.
Speaker 2How about that? The science of a smile?
Speaker 1What happens in the brain when you smile. Smiling triggers the release of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins, your brain's natural happy chemicals. I'm finding it hard to not like giggle and laugh because I am smiling so much, because it's telling me to.
Speaker 2It's those neurotransmitters you just spoke of.
Speaker 1Yes, they reduce stress, they lower blood pressure and they improve your mood.
Smile or Frown Game
Speaker 2And what you're dealing with right now is the improved mood part of it, because before this your mood was not as good. It was all right. It was all right, but now it's even better. I was in a good mood. I know, I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1There's a 2010 study published in Psychological science. It found that people who smiled During stress inducing tasks had lower heart rates and quicker stress recovery. So like Basically Anytime you're driving in Boston.
Speaker 2Yeah, put a smile on your face, smile.
Speaker 1Anytime you are, I don't know, doing your taxes.
Speaker 2I was going to say taxes. You know what? The one time where that doesn't work is when you're cleaning the cat boxes. You don't want to smile.
Speaker 1You might need like a mask. Then smile under the mask.
Speaker 2Maybe take the turban on your head and wrap it around your mouth. You'll be okay.
Speaker 1So there's a facial feedback hypothesis that suggests that the physical act of smiling sends feedback to the brain to reinforce positive emotions.
Speaker 2And what happens when we reinforce positive emotions? They rewire. So you start to create more of those Exactly.
Speaker 1And then there's this quote I love Sometimes your joy is a source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
Speaker 2I love that. Yes, it has the yin yang effect to it.
Speaker 1Exactly Because smiling isn't just a response to feeling good. It's a signal that creates the good feeling.
Speaker 2The good feeling. So we're talking about feelings and, of course, when we talk about feelings, we talk about the nervous system. So when we talk about how smiling activates the parasympathetic nervous system. So a genuine Duchenne smile activates the vagus nerve, which is the key communication channel between your brain and your body's relaxation response. Now this shifts you out of flight or flight, which is your sympathetic nervous system and into your rest and digest and connect, which is of course the parasympathetic.
Speaker 2So there's even a theory called the polyvagal theory, which explains how facial expressions, especially smiling, signals safety to the nervous system.
Speaker 1Yes, yes, yes, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 2So basically, smiling tells your body you're safe, which means you can heal, you can connect and you can create.
Speaker 1Ooh, I love that.
Speaker 2So I like the word create because, of course, as we sit down and we want to create something, be it-. A podcast A podcast, a recipe, a business plan, a date night. A date night. Do it with a smile.
Speaker 1That's right. You like that, I do like that.
Speaker 2So your smile is a signal to your nervous system that the world is safe again, you like that it's like a bird song. Oh, a bird song. Are we ready for a game?
Speaker 1Huh, is it game time? It's like when you tuck the dog in and ask if they want to go for a walk.
Speaker 2My ears are huh.
Speaker 1Huh.
Speaker 2Game time. Is it game?
Speaker 1time. Yeah, let's play a game.
Speaker 2Okay, so I have a game yes, from the depths of my game drawer which is called Smile or Frown, and the gist of this game really is I'm going to say three phrases and you have to guess which of those three phrases were said with a smile or a frown.
Speaker 1Oh okay, you like that yes.
Speaker 2All right, and then I'll give you a chance to say some phrases, if you have some handy.
Speaker 1Okay, probably not, but go ahead.
Speaker 2Okay, so I want you to close your eyes.
Speaker 1Close my eyes.
Speaker 2And I want you to hear my words without looking at my face and I want you to see if you can tell whether or not I'm smiling.
Speaker 1Okay, that's the game.
Speaker 2That's the game. Here we go.
Speaker 1Oh.
Speaker 2Here's the first. You need to relax, babe.
Speaker 1Definitely not smiling.
Speaker 2That's a frown, eyes closed. Okay, we need to talk. Say it again Smile or frown. Say it again we need to talk.
Speaker 1I heard your smile, so I'm going to say smile.
Speaker 2Nah, you cheated.
Speaker 1You listened for the smiles exactly this little smile sounds like.
Speaker 2Here's the difference over here. Here's the frown. We need to talk, sinister, isn't it Nasty?
Speaker 1Uh-oh Fish face.
Speaker 2Uh-oh, something's about to shift the talk. The talk.
Speaker 1Great, alright. What's your number? Shift the talk, the talk. Great, all right. What's your number three?
Speaker 2Number three I'm going to say this with either a smile or a frown. Which one are you going to guess? Here we go.
Speaker 1Which one are you going to give me? Do you want me to help? Do you want me to help? Do it again. Do you want me to help? I think you're like cheating the system. My eyes are closed, but I'm guessing you have neither frown or smile.
Speaker 2Oh, come now. It's a total frown. Do you want me to help?
Speaker 1Okay, first of all, if we play that back, roll the tape. That was different Nonsense. You're trying to cheat the system.
Speaker 2It was the same. Actually, I frowned even more More profound frowning in the last one, so that's what probably would have said it.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, I'm sure.
Speaker 2But the opposite of that is do you want me to help? He's like, oh yeah, sure. The other way around is like, oh yeah, chastisement, got it. What are yours?
Speaker 1What's hilarious is when you act. When you do the happy one, it looks like you're being really fake. You want me to help. It's like you never talk like this.
Speaker 2I know, but Never that's said with a frown, but an evil frown which is like an evil laugh.
Speaker 1Okay, so I don't have three, but I do have a reaction. I want to play with you.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 1And I'm going to say it in two different tones and I want to see what your reaction is to each tone. Okay, okay. So if I was like Mikey, take out the trash.
Speaker 2Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1If I was like hey, mike, can you take out the trash?
Speaker 2Oh, I like the last one better.
Speaker 1Yeah, you like that one better.
Speaker 2Yeah, it means like you have a treat for me at the end. Oh, I'll take out the trash. The first one is like oh, I'm the trick.
Emotional Effects of Smiling
Speaker 1You're the trash man. Take out the trash. Next we're going to talk about my favorite part of the show, which is emotional and energetic effects of a smile. So the energy of a smile is really fascinating, because smiling is contagious.
Speaker 2Sure is.
Speaker 1Mirror neurons in the brain cause others to mimic smiles automatically, smiles automatically. So what's crazy is this makes smiling a co-regulation tool, a way to help others shift into safety and joy just by being in your presence. Crazy, just from smiling.
Speaker 1So a study in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior found that smiling individuals are consistently rated as more trustworthy, confident and approachable. Smiling also improves your energetic frequency. So if you follow Abraham Hicks, abraham Hicks teaches that joy is one of the highest vibrational states and if you look at like the emotional guidance scale, it's right up there, honey, it's at the very tippy, tippy top. So a smile is frequency medicine. It shifts your vibe faster than any to-do list ever will. And, as Mother Teresa says, peace begins with a smile. Inner peace, baby.
Speaker 2I like how you talk about energetic frequency and how you have the ability to raise and lower that frequency just by manipulating parts of your body.
Speaker 1Also means your mouth, yeah, so like we talked about movement medicine last month and we're talking about smile medicine. Little tiny shifts are going to change your entire nervous system, which in turn changes your frequency your vibrational energy that other people feel from you.
Speaker 2Mm-hmm. Yeah, and that is also contagious. People want to feel better. So when they get that good, safety-loving feeling from you, they are going to reproduce it to be a part of it.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2Yes, indeed, indeed Indeed. And you know we we did a show a couple couple of weeks back about embodiment right and and actually taking information and putting it into play. So what I want to talk about a little bit is how we can actually practice smile medicine in our real life situation, right, one of my favorites is to smile when you wake up. Before you even check your phone. Head on pillow, you wake up and you smile.
Speaker 1Yeah, or if you're like turning off your alarm, you just like you know, turn off the alarm and ah yeah.
Professional Benefits of Smiling
Speaker 2One of my favorites is smiling at strangers. I'm talking about baristas, co-workers. You're sitting in line, you know, waiting for the red light to change. You know green. I look over to the left and right and I smile. It's nice, it's nice. I like to smile before responding to difficult conversations, which to include if I have to write an email that I'm not really excited about writing, I will smile first, doing so because the language that I will use tends to be more warm and welcoming and less emotional and harsh or things like that.
Speaker 1Do you like to smile before responding in difficult conversations? That's amazing. I cannot wait to see that in practice. This is something you're committing to.
Speaker 2Yes, I'm going to put a smile on my face before I answer that, yes, yes, I love that for you. Smile while you were responding to difficult situations too, not before.
Speaker 1Yes, you can smile before, you can smile while, you can smile after, while crocodile. So tell me some ways that smiling has helped you professionally.
Speaker 2Oh, wow, well, one of the many jobs that I did. I was a recruiter for a while, crocodile, so tell me some ways that smiling has helped you professionally. Oh, wow, well, one of the many jobs that I did.
Speaker 1I was a recruiter for a while.
Speaker 2Corporate recruiter. Corporate recruiter yeah, it was a very cutthroat business, literally calling people at work, telling them to quit their jobs or sending me a resume. Right, it's cutthroat, right, but what they said when I went through the training is you got to do two things. When you are on the phone with someone a potential client the first thing you do is you stand up because it gives you a sense of authority. The second thing you do is you smile. If you smile during the whole conversation, you are more than likely to get that person to say yes, I trust in you, I will send you my resume, I'll put my butt on the line and see what happens.
Speaker 1So one of the ways that I've used smiling quite a bit with coaching is that, like if I'm coaching a client that is about to do the smallest thing like a reel on Instagram to recording their course or going on the nightly news I always tell them, as soon as you are ready, put a smile on your face, because it tells your nervous system you're safe. And the second, that your nervous system feels that you're safe, especially if you're going to go on stage in front of a bunch of people or it's something that you haven't done before smile, Put a smile on your face the entire time before you are going to hit, start, go lights, camera action, whatever's happening. If you have a smile on your face for a good amount of time before you're fine.
Speaker 2I would go so far as to say that your smile is your superpower mask. The moment you need to tap into your superpowers, put on your smile and then you get the breath of all of your agencies and it helps.
Speaker 1The whole standing thing is also something that I coach. It's like get in that superwoman stance and instantly you'll connect to your power source. So you and I, even when we were not coaching together, we're coaching very similarly. Yeah, well, I taught you everything I. Even when we were not coaching together, we're coaching very similarly, yeah yeah, well, I taught you everything I know oh, wise one. Yes, how lucky I am you're welcome how fortunate. So, uh, I think that's it. Any other smile stories you want to share?
Speaker 2Oh my God, the smile stories are abound. I mean I could actually. No, I can look at my life and I can say, and I can see all the places where I went wrong. And most of those places started with a frown. You know, saying yes to a bad situation, right? Usually they started off with a frown because I was-.
Speaker 1Emitting that frequency. I Emitting that frequency.
Speaker 2I was emitting that frequency. No, I was engaging in something in the future while holding on to fear, while holding on to anger or bitterness, right? So when you put on that superhero mask, right, and that's that smile, it changes your trajectory right away.
Speaker 1Yeah, because then you're no longer a magnet to bullshit, because you're smiling, so you have the energy of you know, pure, positive, clean energy. That is correct, your nervous system is like oh, we're safe, we're good, oh, I can just be my happy, vibrant self.
Speaker 2Yes, I mean honestly. Going back to the getting pulled over, the best possible scenario that I was presented with was the one that I got, which is driving away with no issues.
Speaker 1Yeah, no ticket. No ticket, no warning, nothing. No, let's see you in court.
Speaker 2Had he walked up and I was all frown mean mugging. There would have been something that he could have charged me with, because I would have created my own issues.
Speaker 1Yes, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1So a client of mine, for example, has a lot of fear about being on stage, on stage, and so much so that when she's about to go on stage, um, and when I've seen video of her on stage and we both have laughed about it is that she literally has the face of like fear, like the fear is all over her face, and it's, I mean to the point where her face is like stuck in a downward position and she was never aware of it until like they filmed her going onto stage and she's like, oh my gosh, I didn't realize, like I knew I was scared, like my knees were shaking and I remember like my mouth getting dry and all the things, and and I was like, well, what was your face doing? And so then we like rolled tape and she's like there's that frown and she had this.
Speaker 1It was more like um, like it looked like she had just saw a ghost, kind of like she was terrified and it was on her face.
Speaker 2It was like there was no hiding it was it one of those those frowns that was trying to be a smile, but it looked like a grimace. No, it's like.
Speaker 1I'll show you a picture of her uh of of this, because we actually have used this, because it's it's basically, when you are terrified, your body knows and and if your body knows, then you, it's really hard to get your brain back on track and it's really hard to, you know, follow through with what you want to talk about and it just takes over you. The fear just completely takes over you and some people will take like beta blockers, and it's definitely not necessary if you know how to control your nervous system, and smiling is one of those things. And so we, we cultivated like a practice of, like the mantra she's going to say with the smile on her face, so that she's instantly put into a position of power, and also just like peace, you know, like, oh, I'm here, this is what I, this is what I want to do, this is what I want to do with my life.
Speaker 1I came here to serve and then then she has a good outcome.
Speaker 1The other thing that was funny about it is that she had spent all of this money paying for, you know, a photographer and a videographer and like getting all of this money paying for, you know, a photographer and a videographer, and like getting all of this content, she thought. And she hated all of the content because she didn't prepare herself, she didn't have a coach, so she didn't prepare herself to like, go on stage with some type of ritual, something that she could, you know, attract the outcome that she wanted. It was like, okay, this is everything I want to happen, but the entire time leading up to it she was just visualizing herself on stage being terrified. So that's exactly what she got. She got exactly what she was thinking about.
Speaker 1She called her shot. Yeah, she called her shot. So then, when they were taking all these photos and videos, she's like I can't use any of them. I didn't smile once. My mouth was tight. I had no saliva. You know, if you smile like everyone listening right now, just smile for a second. It creates like spit, it creates moisture, it lubes you up. So if you're not smiling, this is why you get a tight mouth, this is why you get no saliva production and you also get like sometimes you get a little dizzy because you start locking your knees and you're locking your shoulders?
Speaker 1Yeah, and you're just like freaking out. And the second that you smile, your body's like oh, we're okay, she's smiling. So sometimes you do have to fake it a little bit and then add some mantra so they can kind of get into it and then start feeling, into the feeling of, like you know, safety and joy and purpose and alignment. It's beautiful, yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah, well, you did mention photography and as a a photographer, really, in order for me to get the best shot, I have to smile, right? I have to put up that warm, creative, loving energy in order to get that out of whoever I'm shooting. So it is contagious, it is a tool. Yeah, for sure that you can use in every aspect of your life I've been taking.
Speaker 1I've taken photos with photographers and when they are uptight it's really hard to get into a flow state.
Speaker 2Correct, here's the deal. Here's the little key right, a little manifestation key. When you are visualizing yourself in the future, always visualize yourself smiling.
Speaker 1And smile when you visualize yourself.
Speaker 2That too.
Speaker 1Double smile.
Speaker 2A double smile, because you're encoding happiness in the practice and also in the point of destination. It's nice, huh.
Speaker 1Yes, I love that. How about a quote battle?
Smile Challenge & Closing Thoughts
Speaker 2Oh, I'd definitely challenge you to a quote battle. What do you got?
Speaker 1I got a smile is the curve that sets everything straight. Phyllis Diller. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2I like that one. Here's this one. I have many problems in life, but my lips don't know that they always smile. That's from Charlie Chapman.
Speaker 1I like that one you like that. Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, and how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark.
Speaker 2Ooh, mm-hmm, I got one for you specifically Zuri trademark. Ooh, mm-hmm, I got one for you, specifically Zuri. Okay, smile, it is the second best thing you can do with your lips.
Speaker 1All right, I'm going to take it home. Here you ready for this?
Speaker 2Do it With those cute lips of yours.
Speaker 1A smile is happiness you'll find right under your nose.
Speaker 2Oh, that's right. Who's that?
Speaker 1It's Tom Wilson. Oh yeah, or we know him. You don't like that one, I'll give you an unknown Smile. It confuses people.
Speaker 2That sounds like George Carlin.
Speaker 1Totally. But it says unknown. Okay, okay, how about a Chinese proverb?
Speaker 2I love proverbs. Proverbs are good too, but proverbs are the best.
Speaker 1Every smile makes you a day younger. You like that. Every smile makes you a day younger.
Speaker 2I love that. Oh, okay, you're smiling, honey. You're getting younger and younger. Watch this one. There is fear when frowning. There is love when smiling. Spread the love. I put the spread the love at the last. That's mine.
Speaker 1That's yours. So here's our challenge for the week. Week we are calling on the Empowered Posse to try smiling intentionally five times per day and notice what shifts. Just you know, like if you are driving to work or you're sipping on your coffee or whatever you're doing, just try to insert a smile into it and and pick five times throughout the day that you're going to do this. So that's our call to action for this week is to get active by just adding a simple smile.
Speaker 2In the elevator in traffic. You know what I'm talking about your pickup line to pick up your kids.
Speaker 1Basically everywhere, everywhere. Whatever you got going on in your life and whatever you're doing, even if you stay at home, like you know you have a baby. Just smile at your baby extra. Like, just figure out a way to add five more smiles to your day. That's your challenge. And the second thing we want to invite you to do is to come visit us on social. I want to see like a smile selfie or tag me in something that made you smile. Just let's start sharing the smile more with one another.
Speaker 2Let's see how contagious it could be.
Speaker 1It's so contagious and we have a bunch of smile content for you this week. So visit us on the Empowerment Couple on Instagram and we are going to be giving you a tool for emotional regulation, brain chemistry, healing and connection on our Instagram. So come visit us.
Speaker 2We are there for you.
Speaker 1Yes, and we definitely want those smile selfies. You are always welcome. We want to invite you to tell us what you would like to hear on the show. Tell us who you want on the show. We are always available in DMs. If you want to privately share something. You want to reach out to us. We also have links in our show notes that you can apply to be on the show. We just have a simple form just to make sure we're in alignment. And, yeah, just tell us who you want to see and what you want to hear and we're here to serve you. Love. And I want to end on a little closing affirmation.
Speaker 2Make sure, when you give the affirmation, that you're smiling.
Speaker 1Okay, ready, freddie. Yeah, can you hear my smile?
Speaker 2Yeah, I see the smile, here we go.
Speaker 1I carry medicine in my body. My smile is how I share it with the world.
Speaker 2I love that first one, that I carry medicine in my body. We all carry medicine in our body.
Speaker 1Yes, that's what's so beautiful about free medicine it's accessible to everyone. So make it smiley. Yeah, make it smiley.
Speaker 2I'm smiling at you now.
Speaker 1When you smile, the whole world smiles with you. Oh, we all know that one, that one's solid. Okay, sending you the highest vibrations.
Speaker 2You are health.
Speaker 1You are love.
Speaker 2Yeah, this shifts you, shifts you out of. Stop smiling like that. It's so cute, but it's, it's so. It's distracting that little douchane little. Look, you got in there, okay. So I'm talking about the, the shift you know, going in and out no no you're not.
Speaker 1I washed my hair and then I was like I'm just going to put my hair in a little turban. Mike said I look like a white genie.
Speaker 2Yeah you kind of do. But you didn't come out of a lamp, you came out of like a.
Speaker 1Gucci handbag or something. It's the gold rims. Do I look wise?
Speaker 2You look like you're.
Speaker 1You want to rub on my lamp to make some wishes?
Speaker 2I can and I will. This is the sound of me rubbing on it.
Speaker 1Alright, so if we haven't made you smile or laugh with our silliness, you know, check your pulse.
