100 Happy Days - anyone tried it?
 

I don't even remember how I found this info - it started with one google search that morphed & morphed with each click further from my original search phrase, so I have *no clue*.

But it's intriguing to me because it's as about approaching happiness from the simple side - just noticing something each day & taking a pic of that "thing" to share. A moment of gratitude captured visually.

This social program has it's own site at http://100happydays.com/ .

Here's a news story that outlines how it originated etc:

#100happydays: The story behind the social phenomenon - News - TODAY.com


It appeals to me because it sounds like an easy way to "retrain" my brain to see things positively..... it sounds like for many, while it starts out as a bit of work to remember to notice happiness around you, eventually you notice a perspective shift & start to naturally incline yourself toward the positive more easily.

And I think it will be really cool to look back through 100 pics in a slideshow at the end & remember all the ways those little things brought happiness into my world in some way. I think it would make a great addition to my recovery work at this point.

I'm not interested in officially joining the site or posting my biz for the world to see (esp any pics of DD or my family, etc.) but I like the idea of being accountable to a photo-journal of sorts. My camera's memory card holds hundreds of pics, so carrying it around for 100 days is not a huge hardship.

PLUS I intend to make those canvas photos that hopeful4 shared last year around the holidays (we were swapping homemade gift ideas). I want to make them for my mom, sister & BFF & have been trying to get some candid shots of all the kids that they won't even know about until after I get them framed..... so maybe 2 birds, 1 stone at times if I keep my camera at the ready with this challenge.

Just thought I'd share! :)

I love this idea and think I will participate as well. I could use a focus on the positive more often like I used to do. Thanks for posting such a great and simple idea.

So maybe we can do that here, but not share the photos so much but just post what the experience was?! I too, take many photos... my kids and grandbaby get sick of it.... but as the years pass they look at all the photos and say... that was so cool... or I remember that, or I love that picture of us.... I always wink and say, glad my battery was charged that day.

I am so game for this... On the simple side of things... right? Love this idea.

Sounds wonderful

It sounds like a secular version of Ann Voskamp's "One Thousand Gifts" where she set up a contest for people who would every day jot down -- or take a picture of -- or somehow document three things that made them grateful.

I hung in for three months, and I can tell you it did make a difference in my outlook on life. :)

A friend of mine has been doing this, just recently completed her 100 days, she did it through facebook and posted a pic everyday of something and a short description!!

I thought it was pretty cool!! :)

I have a friend on FB that has been doing this. I'm going to check out the site! Count me in :0)

Yes, I started on FB. It was a lot of fun for a while, but then for me it became a chore to post publicly, so I just started writing things down in a journal instead.

It's a lot of fun to watch others post their stuff, too. :)

Wendy - I'm totally down with doing a brief share here on SR if you'd like. If no one else in interested we could just take it to PM & off the forum.... or if the Mods feel like this belongs in a different forum we could move it. :)

HWC - that's what I feared about HAVING to share - I think if we did it here we could be judicious & accept that with all of our CRAZY busy lives there's no penalty for missing daily check-ins.

I'm happy to hear that others have had positive experiences with this! I am going to use a special section of my journal to record the 100 days in succession without being interrupted by other journaling.


I thought about when to start & then thought - why does this need to be a thought/decision? LET GO FOR GOD'S SAKE & JUST DO IT!

It was not the easiest day, stress-wise, but sometimes that's when my HP jumps up & bites me with obvious signs so that I can get back on my path. ;) Quite a few great things happened today, despite my stressed-out state:

1. My reiki center/healer makes me so happy. When I dropped DD for lessons this morning she noticed I was *off* & insisted on giving me a free healing treatment after class. It was such an amazing gift & I felt TONS better almost immediately. She has become a true friend & guide on my recovery path.

2. DD & I spent the day shopping for back to school & she was met with some really big challenges. But, she let her Inner Warrior Child shine through & tackled those hurdles amazingly & in a way that let me see how my own behavior/decision making impacted how she handled it. At one point she even verbalized it, "....well, I learned from you Mom, that...." ... my heart grew just a little more, I swear.

3. My good friend has spent a lot of time with DD this summer & sent me a beautiful text about how much she enjoyed the time, was flattered that DD had (apparently) specifically thanked her for making her summer great, etc. She was very complimentary to DD & I both & it was so incredible of her to take the time to make my day brighter. It was like, 20 words, tops. Made my day, totally.

I hope every one of you found something that made you happy today, no matter how big or small!!!!

I LOVE this idea. Thanks for sharing :-)

Great idea! I thought about doing it as well on FB with friends. There is a group of us that doing something similar to this already by posting our "top 3" moments of the day but is is sporadic as to when we post.

Okay, so is this Day 1?

If so, here's my Day 1 entry! I'm happy that I may have sold my car. :) Need to get it sold so that I can buy one that better suits my needs.

If not, well heck, I can start on any day. Maybe you can start a new thread each day, FireSprite, and just title them 100 Happy Days, Day 1...100 Happy Days, Day 2, etc.? And if you aren't available to start it, someone else can jump in and get it going? I'm in. :)

I'm doing this. :) It's equated to lots of pictures of my kids, Starbucks beverages, the ocean and food. Lol The usual suspects for me anyway.

Today I'm happy that I have an alanon sponsor and she is the bees knees and she approached me so I didn't have to put myself out there. Also, I was the secretary in my home group this morning and I received lots of compliments after the fact. Apparently I rock at reading aloud. ;)

Day 1... Today (which for most of you is yesterday... I am happy I got to wake up with my daughter in my house. She had been away at camp and mornings are hard to wake up to when she is away and nights are hard to go to sleep to when she is away. But today I got to wake up and she was excited for us to go see her brother, and make love rocks. She also sent me a text at work that I got to see on my break, saying, mommy, I made my golf ball skip when I was playing. I imagined her excitement when she had text me and that made me smile.

I like this happiness idea AND the love rocks too.

I can't wait to make love rocks either! DD has been coming up with a bunch of cute little ideas so we just need a run to the craft store for the mod podge stuff. :) She wants to get some done before she's back in school.

The love rocks are so coooool. The story behind them is sad but wonderful. It is odd as this is a part of healing for me as well. Knowing small things I do, such as a love rock, can make someone's day. It makes me feel like when someone finds it, they are going to smile. Such a small act of kindness makes me feel so good. It also helps knowing that no matter where that little rock travels, it is a piece of those little girls memories and spirit and that makes me smile too....

Should we keep bumping this thread or start a new one each day? I think it could get obnoxious having a bunch of threads, maybe?

I'm ok with whatever works for everyone, & in the meantime I'll keep going here.

Day #2

Today my sister makes me happy! I love that her response is pretty much, "Yeah, of course, drop her off!" every time I ask for a sitter for DD, no matter how last minute. Even better, "Leave her overnight, makes it easy on everyone." I love DD immeasurably but I need some time off from being a Mama on duty for a few hours right now so this was a welcome change of schedule. :) :) :)

I love this idea joining late, but want to start anyway. Yesterday I was happy for deciding to start my own recovery. I think I've finally come to the end of my rope and i need help. Looking forward to getting better.

Today I am happy to spend time with my husband (who is sober today, and he takes each day as it comes) and our son. We'll have a fire outside in the firepit and get ready for the week ahead.

Awesome idea.

Welcome, soverylost!

I'm happy that you decided to join us! ;)