On 'America's Top Model,' I've always told my girls to smile with

The words of Tyra Banks shine with both playfulness and power: “On ‘America’s Top Model,’ I’ve always told my girls to smile with their eyes. We call it smizing. Over the years, it’s actually become part of pop culture. I would be walking down the street, and girls would say, ‘Smize!’” Though born in the world of fashion and performance, this teaching reaches beyond the runway, into the realm of human connection, spirit, and presence. For the eyes have long been called the windows of the soul, and to command them in the art of smizing is to master a language older than words, a radiance that can move hearts without a sound.

To smile with the eyes is no simple trick of the face, but the unveiling of an inner flame. A mouth may curve in falsehood, but the eyes betray truth; they reveal the sincerity of joy, the authenticity of compassion, the quiet fire of confidence. Tyra Banks, in her wisdom, taught her students that beauty on the runway is not the mask of cosmetics nor the pose of the body alone—it is the light that emanates when one’s spirit is alive within, and that light shines most fiercely through the gaze. Thus was born the word smizing, a new name for an ancient art: to let the soul speak through the eyes.

The ancients, too, understood this mystery. In the courts of kings and emperors, ambassadors who held their eyes steady and warm won trust more swiftly than those who flattered with many words. History tells us of Cleopatra, who, with the mere power of her gaze, captivated rulers and warriors alike—not only with beauty, but with a depth that spoke beyond words. Her eyes commanded loyalty, inspired awe, and whispered of mysteries unseen. This is the ancestor of Tyra’s smize, for both reveal that the most enduring influence flows not from outward show, but from the energy projected through the gaze.

There is also a lesson of resilience hidden within. To smize is to proclaim joy and strength even in silence, to communicate confidence when the world would have you doubt yourself. In many ways, Tyra’s teaching becomes a shield for her students. In a world quick to judge appearances, she armed them with an inner weapon: the ability to radiate presence, to announce without a word, “I am here, I am powerful, I am enough.” The smize becomes not only a modeling technique, but an act of empowerment, transforming vulnerability into strength.

Consider how this echoes in everyday life. The soldier on the battlefield, weary but resolute, steadies his comrades with the firmness of his eyes. The teacher who believes in a struggling student conveys more through one encouraging glance than a hundred lectures. The parent who meets their child’s fear with smiling eyes offers safety no words can capture. These are all forms of smizing, the ancient human skill of transmitting courage, love, and hope through the gaze.

The lesson for us, then, is both simple and profound. Do not neglect the power of your eyes. When you look at another, let your gaze carry kindness. When you face the world, let your eyes shine with dignity, even when words fail. Learn to smize—not for the camera, but for life itself. For in a single glance you can uplift the weary, calm the fearful, charm the stranger, or kindle the flame of friendship.

Therefore, let each of us practice this wisdom. Stand before the mirror not to admire the shell of your face, but to awaken the fire of your eyes. Train them to radiate warmth, to hold steady in storms, to tell the truth of your strength. Let your smize become your silent song to the world. For Tyra Banks’ playful teaching, though born in the world of fashion, is in truth an eternal reminder: the eyes carry the soul, and when they smile, the whole world listens.