I am pretty much never on the forefront of social media.
I mean, I just got a Twitter this year (I’m kinda a big deal—I already have a whopping 50 followers). It has never bothered me that I’ve always been late to the game, until I started seeing my friends on Instagram hashtagging their photos with #100happydays. This time I wouldn’t be left behind—I had to investigate.
The website, 100happydays.com, challenges participants to seek out what makes them happy, every day, for 100 days. The premise is simple: each day, you take a photo of something that makes you happy and post it to Instagram or Twitter with the hash tag #100happydays. As the challenge progresses, you start noticing what makes you happy, you are in a better mood, you become more optimistic, and, the site claims that, you will fall in love during the 100 days.
Now, I generally consider myself a pretty happy person, but I figured there’s always room for more smiles and love, so I signed up and started clicking away. I am about one fourth of the way through my 100 days, and while I haven’t met Prince Charming yet (I still have 75 more days!!), I have to say I’ve noticed a big change in my disposition.
I started paying more attention to people, places, and activities that bring me joy. I’ve started to notice that things like the beach, going to yoga more often, my puppy, and making healthy, wholesome meals, really bring a lot more happiness to my day. While at first I would seek these things out to get a good picture for my daily post, I now find myself incorporating nature, cooking, and headstands into my daily routine, capturing the photo as an afterthought.
I cannot wait to see where this journey towards even greater happiness takes me next, but in the meantime, I challenge you to discover what makes YOU happy and sign up at 100happydays.com. (Jamie’s note: that IS actually Hannah in the photo. Isn’t she ridiculously amazing?)
Follow my #100happydays challenge on Instagram at @run_HMC.
– Hannah Cranston, Assistant Editor
I’ll try again later. But here it is: I had an epiphany while reading this, Hannah. It appears we might have a misguided, myopic definition of “falling in love.” Of course, we all want to meet a prince/princess charming. But you are proving that its possible to fall in love with things we might take for granted – yoga, nature, the beach. Things that don’t have to “choose us” back or have the potential to break our hearts. Things that we don’t have to play games with or hold back our feelings towards. Things that we would always be proud to say define us. I’m certain we will find someone who fits without a doubt on that list. But I’m comforted after reading your article because I realize I never have to wait around for that butterfly feeling. In fact, I can choose to feel it at any moment.
This is so beautifully and eloquently put.
It took me a long time to realize that happiness is something that is chosen, not something that just spontaneously happens TO you. But what an amazingly empowering feeling! I’d much rather make things happen than become a passive player in life. I believe that when you seek out beauty and positivity in your own life, the world listens and sends it back your way. So you are right–don’t wait around for your Prince Charming. All you can do is be your best self and bask in the love that already surrounds you, and love in its many many forms and happiness will come.