100 Days of Happy: Are You In?

 

To be happy is not a new or novel idea. But to be happy for 100 days straight? Enter the 100 Happy Days Challenge. The idea? To capture one moment each day that made you happy, and to share it, either with friends or with just the 100 Happy Days team. Seventy-one percent of people who set out to do it fail, blaming a lack of time. And, those who do complete the challenge claimed to feel in a better mood every day, became more optimistic, started noticing what makes them happy every day, started receiving more compliments every day, and even found love.

Maybe it's because I just got back from an ultra-relaxing vacation, or maybe I've heard Pharrell's song on the radio one too many times. Maybe it's because it's officially springtime in Seattle... no matter, there's a lot to smile about. I've always believed in the power of positive thinking. Yes, it sounds totally cheesy, but it's a very real thing. It not only makes you more approachable, more relatable, and less stressed, but all of those good qualities carry over nicely to  work. Positive energy yields successful results. So, I figured, why not try the challenge.

I had seen friends using the #100happydays hashtag on Instagram, which is what inspired me. But, when I learned more about the challenge, I really liked the part about how it's not a happiness competition, like a race for who can see the most rainbows or have a better Sunday, and that's why I decided just to email in my pictures to the 'Happy' team. At the end of your 100 happy days, you can get a book containing all of your pictures. That's pretty cool. You can read more about the challenge here, and it's pretty simple. What have you got to lose?

In addition to embarking on my own little challenge, I thought I'd ask a few friends how their own was going for them. I'm glad they chose to share what makes them happy on Instagram, because it's fun to see!

First, my friend Christi. She told me that she's been noticing little moments in her day that she never had before, like when her favorite lipstick made a mark on her to-go cup of tea. Normally that moment would have totally passed her by, but it made her smile, and she stopped to fully enjoy that little delight.

Christi also brought up the good point that the challenge can get tough when you're having a not-so-good day. Then what? Do you still post anyway? So far Christi has made it 13 days straight. Life isn't always perfect, obviously, but here's to finding a silver lining, especially on days when we otherwise might not!

I also talked to my friend, Carlie. She told me, "I live in a small town, and my job can be challenging. The 100 Days Challenge really pushes me to find something to be thankful for every day, which is really important. It's easy to find the negatives and complain, so I'm really happy to have a reason to find the positives!" Touché, Carlie, and I really like your picture from last week, captioned, "Pizza and it's Friday #100happydays."

I also tapped my friend Anna to talk about her experience with 100 Happy Days. She said, "I love photography and I thought it would be a great way for me to be focused on taking more pictures, even if it is just with my cracked iPhone. Then I thought about it more and realized I'm at a time in my life where I should be taking a step back and really appreciating the little things that make me happy each and every day. Whether it's a weekend getaway or just a piece of food that I love, I have so much to be thankful and happy for, so this is a fun and creative way for me to do this!"

Anna is more than two weeks into the challenge, and on day nine, she shared the picture below, with the caption, "Healthy snacks FTW."

So, it's your call. You don't have to do this challenge to be happy, and maybe this challenge won't make you happy, but rather stressed out (I forgot my phone to capture this view!)... but only time will tell. All I know is that being a part of something that people all around the world are doing for themselves, is an interesting journey indeed. Want more inspiration? Search #100happydays on Instagram or Twitter.

Are you participating in the challenge? Share your photos with me on Twitter at @megelisekam.