No, I am not mad!!

[Omegaman]

I seem to always get the response from people, "Smile!", "you don't look enthuse", "what's wrong?" , or "are you mad about something." When nothing is wrong. I have always brush it off as that's just how I am or look. I am not sure what to do to have people not say such things. It sometimes makes mad to heard them say it, when I am not.

 

I guess, it's true, I am sometimes not in the greatest moods or in deep thought when I get such comments. But I seem to get them no matter what. Even my other brother and sister get the same comments.

 

But people have always seem to like me, they even tell me that I am a nice guy, attractive, that's cool, laid back, and funny sometimes.

 

I know I didn't have the greatest childhood, growing with an alcoholic dad and a schizo mother. I am sort of quiet in groups, but I am talkative one-n-one. I do find it hard to make small talk with people at parties. But once I know everyone in the group , I am OK.

 

I would like to appear happier, but I don't want to walk around with a fake smile on my face, I think it would just look unnatural. I sometimes tilt my lips upward very sightly to have a relax smile look, but it's hard to remember to do it always.

 

Does anybody else get this to? Any ideas how I can improve?

Thanks!

[suegail]

I don't know - - I wouldn't worry too much about it. I know people who don't smile much, but it's just their personality and those of us who know them understand that about them. It's hard to change ingrained personality traits - sometimes it's just next to impossible, but if you feel that inwardly you are more often than not looking on the downside of things, or as a famous writer you might recognize once wrote, if it's a 'damp drizzly November in your soul,' I think you can work on having a more positive outlook and thereby express that better attitude.

 

Good luck...