It's Been A Minute...

Naps with chimes on the balcony…happy!

Shame.  On.  Me!  *hangs head & slumps shoulders*  In January I had this amazing vision to begin a blog about my thoughts…nothing grand and unordinarily special...and I was on a roll, baby!  For about 3 months.  And then I hit a wall.  *s c r e e c h*  My enthusiasm and energy for putting my thoughts into written form just faded from me.  What the hell?!?  I stopped looking for pretty pictures to add to my blogs.  That's the fun part!  Can't tell you the last time I added a quick note to my iPhone to inspire a blog later.  I just could not figure it out but something was definitely missing.  I was not inspired.  Until a little over 100 days ago.

Sunday morning ritual…happy!

My last blog entry at the end of April discussed how I stumbled upon this really fascinating 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 every day for 100 days, 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.  

There was just one thing, though.  According to the folks that made this challenge, 71% of the people that attempted the 100 Days of Happy thus far failed to complete the challenge for one simple reason.  They simply did not have time.  To be happy. To stop and acknowledge a little bit of happy in their hectic lives every day for 100 days.  I was up for the challenge though and decided to dive in.  Both feet firmly planted in the notion that every single day there is something to be happy about.  Even in my darkest hour.  

Working with my hands…happy!

Well!  I am happy to say while I was away from this here blog…that so excited me at the start of the year…I was sortofkindawemightaswellsayIwas blogging in another way.  I shared this experience with a few special women on Facebook and am happy to say I am among the 30% of people that took and completed the 100 Days of Happy Challenge.  I even took it a step further and posted my happy for 100 days on Instagram for any and everyone to see.  *side note…type #becauseimhappy on Instagram and you just might run across 1 of my 100 happy posts.  I pushed through those 100 days and here is a little of what I learned about little old me:

Farmers Market loot…happy!

• Seeking happy every single day broadens your perspective of what makes you happy
• Rituals make me happy 
• Unexpected bargains make me happy…WINNING! 
• Watching black men love on their children makes me happy  
• Being brave makes me happy  
• Traveling makes me happy  
• Working with my hands makes me happy 
• Small happies are often the biggest happies 
• Making & keeping a home for people I love makes me happy  
• Taking time for myself makes me happy  
• Watching children play makes me happy 
• It's necessary to squint to see happy when it seems like it's hiding from you & you must keep squinting until you see it  
• Witnessing people be free makes me happy  
• Trying something new for the first time makes me happy  
• Reconnecting with long lost friends & supports makes me happy  

Traveling…happy!

Developing a new habit takes time, especially when you are a grown ass woman.  And effort.  And attention.  But if we stay focused on the task at hand and enjoy the journey along the way, we are better for it.  I'm better for it because now I am able to notice those small happies every single day with very little effort.  Not the typical happies with your man, your money or your food.  I am talking about small happies that offer perspective and leave you marveling that you never noticed such a thing before.  Yep!  That kind of happy.  It's been wonderful for my spirit and certainly has helped decrease the level of stress that easily washes over me day in and day out.  Absolutely positively without a doubt and with great certainty worth the effort.  For 100 days straight.  Get your happy and keep it!  I most certainly will.  #becauseimhappy  

Can you make time for 100 Days of Happy?  
Whenever you are ready...