Wouldn’t you want to live a happier, more balanced and purposeful life?

I did! During my #100happydays challenge, I created just that!

A few months ago, I saw many friends and acquaintances on Facebook posting pictures and talking about what had made them happy that day with the hashtag #100happydays.  I lurked and followed what they were doing for a few months and I saw how pleased it was making them. I was going through a low period in my life and I decided I needed to have a little of what was making them so happy. I wanted to live more in the moment and so I got started with my #100happydays.

Day 36 Today I was indulging in a little bit of retail therapy at the mall because I was feeling a little down. Two young girls with a basket of flowers came up to me and asked me, “would you like a flower for free?” “Yes, thank you! It’s wonderful you are doing this” I said and they handed me this gorgeous flower with this beautiful message! I’m not sure how they knew it but I really needed it and they made my day! #100happydays #randomactsofkindnessworks

100 Happy Days is a movement on social media! It is a foundation that makes the world happier. The website www.100happydays.com  claims 20 000 000 happy moments created, 98% of the world covered, with 1 000 000 happiness ambassadors posting a picture a day everyday on social media for 100 days in a row!

I am already a pretty happy, positive person. I rarely post anything negative on Facebook. I don’t think it’s the place for it. I feel that if you are feeling down you should reach out to someone who can actually help. Talk to your spouse, family member, best friend, dog, or therapist. I saw that this project was making my friends happier, more grateful and positive. Who doesn’t want more of that?

My initial thoughts about the 100 happy days project.

• Could I be happy for 100 days in a row? What happens if I’m not?
• Do I have time for this?
• Did I want to be on social media all the time?
• What if I got sick of doing the project? Would I quit?

Day 44 I planted this hydrangea in the spring and I’m now enjoying its beautiful colour! #100happydays #gorgeousblue

My personal findings on my 100 happy days.

• First of all, I have to say that I did not register my intent on the 100 happy days website or register my pictures. I simply did it as an exercise for myself. I’m sure there were lot of benefits to registering. One of them was having a picture book of all your happy days together which I think would have been pretty neat!

• During the 100 happy days, I found I truly was a LOT happier! I not only felt happier but I was more focused, more grateful, and more purposeful plus I was living in the moment something that has always eluded me!  I simply felt more balanced.

• The answer to the question “Could I be happy for 100 days in a row”? was no! I wasn’t  happy for 100 days in a row but that was okay. When I wasn’t happy or I felt low or down, I simply did not post that day. I delayed posting a picture or status until the next day and by that time I could step away from the down mood of the previous day (where I couldn’t see anything good) and I could subjectively pick out something that I was happy about.

• Some days I couldn’t post a picture. I just didn’t have anything to post. I sometimes couldn’t translate how I felt with a picture. Some days I did not have had the time to take a picture or I didn’t want to be that girl who takes selfless all day long (did not want this project to be “all about me” and my face). On those occasions,  I wrote out in text form what had made me happy that day instead. e.g. Day 95 Renewed focus on business today. Peer coaching call and planning meeting for upcoming Fall coaching events! #100happydays#lovemesomeseptember

• This project really made me review my day intently for what made me happy. It made me look for a purpose in my day. It help me focus on what truly made me happy and I not only wrote it down but by doing that it made me truly reflect and take notice of my day. Previous to this, I let each day go by without much thought to it.

• I took more pictures of what made me happy creating more lasting memories. I can go back and relive those happy moments through my pictures.

• It helped me to not dwell on negatives things as I reflected only on what made me happy about my day! For someone who is a perfectionist and reviews constantly how I can do something better, this was huge!

• 

  Day 99 Beautiful Wakefield! We spent a lovely afternoon walking around this gorgeous spot. We topped it off with a gourmet supper at the Wakefiled Inn celebrating a family birthday. #100happydays

  It made me learn more about myself and I thought about activities that made me more content and then I actually went and did those things. I began to purposefully live my life just to be happy! I actively planned activities that I knew would make me happy. This part was cool! I spent 100 days doing things that made ME happy instead of doing things that made others happy! The people pleaser in me took a 100 day break!

• Another great finding was noticing that I wanted to gravitate and spend time with people who made me happy so I actively sought the positive people in my life and not the Negative Nellies.

• I didn’t anticipate the friends and acquaintances on Facebook who connected with me to let me know how much they enjoyed seeing my #100happyday. Some of these people started their own projects and it delighted me to know I had influenced even one person to become happier.

• I didn’t perform the 100happydays project perfectly. A younger version of me would have been critical of not doing it perfectly. I didn’t post everyday, I missed a few pictures, I truncated days when I was away on vacation and took social media breaks and I as I mentioned I didn’t register my intent on the website.   The 48-year-old version of myself doesn’t worry about that crap anymore and “imperfect action” is what it’s all about with me these days! I’m no longer so hard on myself!

• I knew I would be happy about having my husband, my children, my family and my friends as those who would make my days the happiest as evidenced by all the family pictures and family get-together pictures I posted. They probably totalled more than almost anything else. I want to be excited by those people but I found that flowers, landscapes, sunsets and babies made me happy too! I became jubilant about simple things like reading books, working in my garden, planning a new work project, listening to music out loud, and dancing. I now know that those and many other simple things contribute to my life being more joyful! I am living the balanced life I want.

I am so glad I attempted and completed this challenge as I have grown richer for the experience! It cemented in my mind that I AM LIVING THE LIFE I WANT! Are you living the life you want? Do you need help leading a happier, more balanced and purposeful life?

As your Goals Coach, I can help you clarify what it means to have the life you want.  I can help you to clarify your vision, untangle your own unique challenges and bring out the necessary steps to help move you forward to achieve your ultimate goals.