7.22.2014

100 Happy Days

 I recently decided to start the "100 Happy Days" challenge on my instagram (as those of you who follow me on there know)... a challenge aimed at trying to see if one can be happy for at least 100 days in a row... Early this year, the hashtag started trending and I noticed so many accepting the challenge... some of them making it the whole 100 days, some tapering off after a couple weeks or so and then just forgetting completely.

I liked the concept, sounds like fun I thought, but I was hesitant to do it when the thoughts started creeping into my mind... can I really be completely happy, all day, every day, for 100 days in a row?
For months I wanted to accept the challenge, but didn't think I could do it, now don't get me wrong, saying that makes me feel like that I may come across as a grouch (haha) but I'm really not; In fact, I'm actually a very happy person, probably one of the most optimistic people you would ever meet and I seem to find joy very easy: happiness just comes naturally to me... but then why shouldn't it? I have been blessed with such a wonderful life: the most wonderful husband in the world who is the love of my life and my best friend, an amazing daughter, 2 lovely step daughters, everyone healthy, I'm blessed enough to be able to be a stay at home wife and mother (I know so many women who would love to be), we have food on our table and a good/safe place to live... I cannot even begin to count all of the good things in my life... and no, life isn't perfect, but life is good and life is wonderful.

But like anyone, I have the occasional day where things don't always go as planned... 

Dinner doesn't taste quite as good as I think it should (I'm kind of a perfectionist when it comes to my cooking), the weather isn't ideal (too hot/too cold/too much rain or humidity... humidity is the big one for me lol), the fact that I'm constantly stubbing my toes (seriously though, it hurts so don't laugh, okay? Lol), Bella won't go down for a nap when she needs one, hubby has to work overtime, all the insecurities about my new "mom body" (a post for a later time), and to top it all off... for some reason the new internet we got when we moved is so slow (mind you we did pay for the faster service too) that I can hardly even blog from our computer anymore so I have to do 90% of my blogging on my smartphone now... yada, yada, depending on the day the list can go on...

Whoa! I sound like a complainer! Lol. But I'm not like that all day every day ever, just once or twice a day maybe... but that's anyone really.

You know what though? I've started realizing recently that its honestly impossible to be 100% happy 100% of every day... we're all human, not one of us is perfect.

I'm also realizing that happiness is a way of life and not an attitude or what you are when everything is going your way or even just a word for that matter! A person can be happy even if things aren't going as planned.

I realize now that "100 happy days" does not mean that every day is balloons and confetti and bubble guppies and cupcakes... but IT IS about finding the happiness in every day, the little things, the big things, the ORDINARY things! Focusing on the positives of the day and not dwelling on the fact that dinner wasn't as savory as the time before when I made that same meal, its being thankful we were able to have a meal on our table, its not about being insecure of my body and nitpicking all the little things about myself that no one else (even my husband) notices, its about being so beyond thankful and blessed that I had the chance to become a mother and that our daughter is healthy and happy and loved!

I have always been happy, but lately even more so, I feel like that my life is pretty much as close to perfect as I could ever possibly hope for and I have a contentedness and happiness in my heart that feels like sunshine and blue skies on a beautiful day that just got more beautiful.

Now I challenge you... maybe not to do the #100happydays photo challenge (unless you want to), but I challenge you to be more happy in general! To be more positive! If something happens that threatens to ruin your day (or week), don't let it! Instead, stop, take a moment to think of one or two things (no matter how big or small) that you find happiness in! Life is too short not to be happy


I've only been a week into my 100 happy days, but I know for certain that my happy days will go far beyond that and number so many more than 100!