100 Days of Happy

I would like to think I am a happy person more often than not.  I think. Like anyone else I certainly have days that are darker than others, fits of anger and frustration.  But overall, I would like to think I am happy and I know the reasons why.  For the most part.  That is until I stumbled upon this idea floating around Facebook or some other social networking site I frequent.  The idea was to take the next 100 days in your life to find something that made you happy in that day, take a picture of that something, state the reason why that something made you happy and post it to Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #becauseimhappy.  

Hmmm.  100 days?  Like 10 times 10 days?  In a row, no less?!?  Like damn near 4 months of finding something happy in my day, take a picture of that thing, explain it and post it on Facebook or Instagram?  After I got over the sheer number of days I actually felt inspired to try it.  And got brave enough to ask some women in a Facebook group I am in to join me. I fully expected folks wouldn't be interested at all and it would just be me and a few of my "Ride or Dies" but I was so wrong!  A good number of the women agreed to join me and we have been at this 100 Days of Happy thing since April 1st!

Go get you some!

The idea behind this amazing challenge is that in the day to day of life we miss all the small, wonderful, awe inspiring moments that can add to our happy. Because our lives are full and things happen way quicker than they ever have, it can be dizzying just making it from one moment to the next.  This breakneck speed pace we all participate in at one point or another actually decreases the time we make to appreciate the moment and the journey that is our lives.  The makers of this challenge suggest our ability to appreciate the moment in the environment we find ourselves in day to day is the bases for our ability to enjoy lifelong, longstanding happiness.  Makes sense to me! 

I am 30 days into completing this worthy challenge with some interesting women joining me on the journey.  Amongst all of us we have found happy in family, love, food, comforts of home, new experiences, self reflections, wonders of nature, fashion, hair, BIG moments and small moments.  And even still some of us have been challenged to find happy when our lives are a bit off center and goodness seems really far away.  No worries, though!  We consistently encourage one another when we get stuck and remind each other that:

Being happy…finding happy...is a conscious choice.

The BIG happy is the easiest to spot.  It's finding the subtle happy that takes real effort.

If we squint really hard we can see happy even when life has us pinned against the wall, tired and just one.  That's when we need to spot the happy the most!  When it is the hardest to find...

Simple happy can be the best happy.  It doesn't have to be complicated.  

When it's our task every day to find happy it can change our perspectives in a powerful way.  That can be life changing!

According to the folks that made this challenge, 71% of folks that attempted the 100 Days of Happy thus far failed to complete the challenge stating what?  They simply did not have time.  To be happy. To stop and acknowledge a little bit of happy in their hectic lives ever day for 100 days.  Really?!?  We can find ample time to get beyond pissed, to seethe with frustration, to wallow in sadness.  Well, I am going to prove these folks wrong and seek my happy for the next 70 days.  And you?  There are still a few hundred days left in 2014…you game?  Got get you some happy!