I’m currently sitting at Starbucks watching two women trying to take the perfect selfie. All women take the same kind of selfie – the camera about parallel with their forehead facing downward, eyebrows slightly raised, lips bold and somewhat pinched together, cheeks sucked in. They have an innocent look in the selfie.

Via http://www.cambo.com

Why do we take pictures like this? It’s because that is our society’s idea of beauty. The thinner, serious look is in style.

However, I don’t think that the majority of selfies should look like that.

Recently I’ve caught myself noticing how people look when they laugh. Like, truly laugh. I never realized how stunning people were until that automatic smile appeared on their face. There’s something about the natural, relaxed look when they laugh. Laughing releases tension, so maybe that’s why they look so good.

When we laugh, we don’t think about what other people think. We are so in the moment when we crack the smile. We don’t think about how we look when tears are coming out of our eyes, or when we snort while laughing. We enjoy the humor and the sensation laughing brings. That’s the one moment where we don’t care how we look, and let me tell you – we look beautiful

Via http://thegirlswithglasses.com

So why can’t we take selfies like we laugh?

I’m not saying let’s laugh in all of our selfies now, but let’s enjoy the beauty that we have and not try to look superficial. I’ve scrolled through Facebook and seen a number of girls who don’t look like themselves when I see their selfies. I always wonder, “Why do they think that looks good?” They are so pretty in person, yet they don’t show that beauty in pictures of themselves.

Via http://www.youbeauty.com

I think that as a society we need to change the way we view ourselves. We need to see the beauty in ourselves, both inside and out. I’m just as guilty as the next person when it comes to denying my self-beauty, and I’m trying to work on that. To do so, I try to live in the moment, laugh more often, and love more fully. I think we could all use a little more laughter in the world.

So to those girls I see taking the selfie in Starbucks -- can you please smile?! Trust me, you look much better that way.