As I said, I came at this point of view before reading many of y'all's comments, so I wan't in the groove of the discussion. I stand by my observations. I am not jaded, nor do I have much to say regarding Thrive, since I don't know a heck of a lot about it. I am not smearing anyone either: I'm simply observing what I believe to be true.
In my experience, smiles don't equate to happiness. A smile can make other people think you're happy or pleased, or satisfied, or polite, or cooperative.
I find this young woman's smiles to be plastered on, an effort to convince others (and maybe herself) that she's all happiness. Like her message to her fellow Thrivers, it's marketing, smoke and mirrors; she even overtly has "happiness" as a sales pitch. The emptiness of the house, and the seeming denial about their dire financial situation, speaks, to my mind, to someone who is pretending, both to herself and to others.
That is my impression, and I'm entitled to it.