How To Have 100 Happy Days

My regular readers know how much I enjoy a good challenge.  After successfully completing my fifty-two challenges last year I was excited about the prospect of finding a few new and unusual 'projects' for this year.

In January I took part in Cancer Research's Dryathlete challenge.  I am looking at a number of personal challenges over the coming months which will help me to evolve at home and work.  All very worthwhile but where is the fun? 

I then stumbled across a Twitter revolution - the #100HappyDays challenge, now THIS was more like it. 

The concept is to take one photograph every day for a hundred days, of something that makes you happy.  You add the hashtag #100HappyDays and post your photo on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram (or on all three if you are that talented with social media!)

There is a website where you can sign up http://100HappyDays.com or you can just get going on one of the platforms mentioned above.

As I have an unhealthy obsession with Twitter this is where I have posted my 100HappyDays pictures.  At the time of writing this post I am up to Day 34.

The surprising thing about this challenge is that 71% of people who sign up to this fail to complete the hundred days.  Why?  Apparently they don't have the time!

Question - Do you have time to be happy?

It takes me approximately thirty seconds to take a photo, click on 'send to twitter', write up my caption (this is limited to 140 characters on twitter) add the hashtag #100HappyDays and send - Done!  How hard is that?

Day 15 #100HappyDays Holidays
are booked - Barcelona Baby!

So what kind of photographs have made it on to my 100HappyDays list? 

There has been a very large hot chocolate, the first snowdrops in my garden, a completed manuscript printed out and ready to edit, my friends amazing sparkly UGGs, a message from my children left on the fridge door, new stationery, homemade chicken pie and many, many more...




There are a number of benefits to completing this challenge.  First of all, I am having lots of fun and isn't that what being happy is all about?  The 100HappyDays site lists the following benefits that have been noted by fellow participants:-

• You are in a better mood more often
• You begin to receive more compliments because you are actively happy
• You become more optimistic
• You start to notice what makes you happy

The last one is really important, it makes you question your day to day life and look for those glimmers of happiness that we may normally miss.

I attended a family funeral the other day and although we did share laughter as well as tears, I found myself pondering on the drive home, what my HappyDays picture could be.  As it so happened, my copy of Writing Magazine was on the doormat when I got home and I was featured in the Members News section - hey presto, Day 33 #100HappyDays photo completed!

This challenge is open all year so you don't have to sign up on a specific month or day. 

Why not start today, log on to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and start your own Happy Days challenge.  Don't do social media?  Then why not email yourself a photograph every day and collate them in a special folder on your computer, or text a friend and become Happy Day Buddies!

However you decide to take part, do it with a smile :-)

Have you joined the #100HappyDays challenge?  How are you getting on?

What made you happy today?