seventeen

As I left the Métro, I wondered what kind of surprise Claude had in store for me this time. He had a unique way of staging his lessons, of demonstrating his advice or concepts life-sized. I laughed to myself when I thought of the face I must have made when he wanted to take me up in a hot-air balloon. Just so that I could get rid of—both metaphorically and literally—all the things that were contaminating my mind. And how wonderful it had felt when we were so high above the ground! Another symbol for greater well-being in the future, combined with immediate, concrete gratification. And then the house of mirrors! So what was it going to be today? I was surprised to find myself hurrying when I arrived at rue Saint-Sulpice in order to get to number 59 as quickly as possible, like a little girl impatient to open a present.

I came to a building that was wall-to-wall glass. The front windows were modern and light, the interior a designer’s dream. It took me a few moments to realize what this was, and I pushed open the door with a mixture of curiosity and amusement: Claude had brought me to a . . . smile bar! An idea that . . . made me smile! I knew of course that such places existed, but this was the first time I had been in one.

Claude was waiting for me, perched on a high stool, chatting to the female owner like an old friend. They both greeted me warmly. I felt as though I were on a TV makeover show. Claude wanted me to have a “Brilliant Smile” teeth-whitening procedure. I wasn’t so sure, but he insisted: he saw this as part of my overall training and progress.

The owner showed us into a small cubicle, and Claude took advantage of the few minutes we had to wait to talk to me.

“Camille, I’m sure you realize that I haven’t made you come here simply to have your teeth done.”

“I guessed as much. I’m beginning to know you a little.”

This made both of us smile. After all, this was the place for it.

“As well as it being important to look after your teeth, I wanted to remind you how important your Smile Capital is. Because your smile can make you far richer than any lottery ticket!”

“Aren’t you exaggerating a little?”

Ignoring my remark, he went on: “A smile costs nothing and yet has a huge influence on the people around you, as well as on your own state of mind. So you get a double benefit. You must know what Abbé Pierre said: ‘A smile costs less than electricity but gives much light.’ It’s even been shown that a sincere smile offered to another person can produce a chain reaction that creates up to five hundred smiles in just one day—without taking into account the benefits in your own brain and body. Did you know that a recent study in the States has proved it? Researchers asked a group of volunteers to hold a spatula in their mouths. The ones in the first group had to keep it there without showing any emotion. Those in the second group had to do so making themselves smile. And those in a third group were to smile naturally. Then they submitted them to tests with various levels of stress, such as having to plunge their hands into icy water. For each test, they recorded the variations in their heartbeats. In the group who had to remain expressionless, the rhythm increased considerably. In the group with the forced smile, the results showed a much lower heart rate. But it was slowest among those who were smiling naturally. So what does this experiment show? That the mere fact of smiling, whether naturally or not, reduces the effects of stress on the human body. The scientists are adamant about it. And the explanation? The brain interprets the smile, whether natural or not, as a sign of good humor and sends out calming hormones. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Yes, it is.”

“So you see, Camille, smiling not only means others like you more, it lets you be happier and live longer and in better health as well. Not to mention that you’re so much more beautiful when you smile. It lights up your whole face, and you look much younger. The next step for you is to learn to release your ‘inner smile.’”

“My inner smile?”

“Yes. It’s a smile directed at yourself, a smile that brings inner peace—that famous holy grail that often seems inaccessible to us poor Westerners, with our lack of spirituality. It has to be said that we don’t really have people anywhere near us who can teach us about it, not even at the university, where they’re far too busy giving lectures on marketing or law. In ancient times, the Tao masters taught the art of the inner smile and explained that it guaranteed health, happiness, and a long life, because that smile is like immersing yourself in a bath of love. Not only does the inner smile boost energy, but it also has considerable healing powers.”

“Wow! And what do I have to do to develop it?”

“You can train for a few moments every day. Each time you have a few minutes to yourself, sit down quietly, relax all the tension in your body, loosen your jaw by opening your mouth a little. Become aware of your breathing and how this relaxes you physically. Hold on to that breath and think of it as a kind of internal massage. That’s when you’ll find your inner smile: you’ll feel a profound sense of well-being, of release, of calm. Perhaps you could visualize a flower blossoming in your solar plexus.”

“To tell you the truth, Claude, I don’t know if I’ll ever be sufficiently relaxed for that kind of thing. I rush around too much.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions. Try it a few times. You might be surprised at the result. At first it’s hard to stay still—that’s completely normal. But as the days go by you’ll get real pleasure from being in that state. It’s a bit like blue sky. You like the beautiful blue skies by the seaside in summer, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course. They’re marvelous. But here it’s gray the whole year round.”

“Well, finding your inner smile is a bit like rediscovering your beautiful patch of blue sky whenever you want to. Even when the sky is overcast, it’s just as blue! And when you’re in a bad mood, there’s this magnificent blue sky waiting inside you. All you have to do is learn how to reconnect to it.”

“Great sales pitch. Bravo . . . I’ll buy it!”

At that moment, a young woman came into the cubicle. My treatment was about to start. Claude vanished. I let the assistant get to work, dying to see the result. Soon I was able to admire my new smile in the mirror. Impressive! The treatment really worked. Delighted, I rejoined Claude, who was back sitting on the stool, talking to someone apparently waiting for a cubicle to come free. He said good-bye to him and came over to me.

“Now you’re equipped to give a flashing smile to the whole world, Camille. But remember: it’s even more beautiful when it comes from inside.”