PC Anna Maria Kommonen-Diaz
The idea that brought me here.
How many times a day do I use my smile veil to disguise what I’m actually feeling?
This mini-lie is a technique I, like many others, mastered at a young age. When getting ready to perform at a piano recital, wobbly with fear, I always took a deep breath and smiled walking up to the stage.
When entering a room full of strangers with my parents, I smiled while shaking towering adults’ hands and courteously exclaimed, “Nice to meet you!”
But if I always smile when I don’t mean it,
- People think I approve when I’m questioning what I’m feeling.
- People think I’m satisfied when I’m enraged.
- People think I’m happy when I’m petrified.
- People think I’m comfortable when I’m in pain.
At some point, my smile veil morphed from a method of protection to one of my biggest saboteurs.
Today, when I feel the ache of an extended grin towards the back of my jaw, I pause to question where the reaction is coming from. Am I actually happy? Or am I using my smile veil?
If it’s the pesky being trying to tell me I have to lie, I am learning to question and push back.
- Can I uncover what part of me feels angry or unsafe?
- Can I remind those parts I love and accept them?
- Is there a way I can share this insecurity with the people around me to soften the situation?
Who else wants to experiment with me in removing their smile veil?
Studio Sabiduria 