#100HappyPaiges

Once upon a time there was a girl named Paige, and although she generally seemed to have a happy disposition, this was not always the case. Often, she, like so many before her, had bad days. And one day she thought to herself, "I'm done having bad days!"

So she stopped.

haha just kidding. Because everyone has bad days, and that's not just something you can choose to stop doing...(technically speaking).

So Paige is scrolling through her Facebook news feed (or whatever it's called nowadays) and she sees this post from a friend.

"Day 67 of my 100 days is ________. *insert picture* [post talks about why pictured thing makes her happy]." And I (Paige..) think to myself, "wow, this seems really cool."

So I looked into it. (100happydays.com) And it definitely sounded really cool. Basically the premise is this: Be happy for 100 days. What? That seems really hard. What if you have a really bad day? You can't help that. What if something disastrous happens, something you can't recover from. Well, there's the challenge. Now, starting out, it's probably close to impossible to be happy 100% of the time. Okay, definitely impossible. When someone messes up your order at Starbucks Monday morning, our mindsets automatically go to something along the lines of "Monday's suck, I hate today, blah blah blah."

NOT ANYMORE.

So this website, and I suppose yourself, challenge you to find one thing that makes you happy each day. Just one. That's like picking a letter out of alphabet soup. So you find your happy thing for the day and you post a picture of it. whaaaaaaat. that sounds so easy right!

it is.

okay, well most of the time it is. I'm not gonna lie. I've been doing this challenge for about 60 days and a couple of those days, at the end of the day when I sat down to think of my happy for the day, it was very difficult. But that's the cool thing about this challenge. That even on your darkest days, you need to recognize that something good came out of that day. Maybe it was just hearing your favorite song on the radio and that's it.

But that's not it! How awesome is it that you were able to find something good that happened in a day full of gloom? It's not about changing your life. It's about changing your mindset. Instilling positivity into every day.

Lemme tell you about my experience. Like I said, I've been doing this challenge for quite awhile now. At first, it was hard. Sometimes it took me forever to find something happy. But within about a week, I realized that this was something really cool. I began to notice a change in myself, in my days. I was [am] incredibly stressed all the time. But it didn't [doesn't] seem to matter as much. I truly feel like I haven't been having bad days, bad weeks. My days are good. almost all the time too!

You don't think that finding one happy thing a day could do this right? I didn't think so either. It seemed like such a trivial challenge. I thought it would be fun to try. I figured I'd give up within a week. But i didn't! Of course, I missed a couple days here and there (usually because I fell asleep before I even had time to post something) but I always went back and made them up. It's weird to think that such a small thing can (and I don't want to be dramatic here but I genuinely think it's real and true) turn your life around. That's right. I said it. It can turn your life around.

So it's my challenge to you, readers, world, humanity.

Find something that makes you happy every day. Post a picture about it. On facebook, instagram, tumblr, on a word document your keeping to yourself. The point of posting is not to brag to the world that you're happy. It's to share your happiness with the world.

If you need some inspiration or are curious to how it works, you can look at mine (turning394paiges.tumblr.com) or you can just search the hashtag #100HappyDays!

Find one thing every day that makes you happy.

Pass a Smile Instead

We tear people down,
we tear them apart
where did this begin,
where did it all start?

Each day we wake up
in our nice warm beds,
no ill thoughts or feelings
run through our heads.

Our little nights rest
has made us renewed;
you can't start the day
in a horrible mood.

Yet somewhere along
our routine-trodden path
something sets us awry,
we can't  help but to laugh.

Again the thing comes.
it bothers and boasts;
it won't upset you today,
it cant hurt you, it won't.

Then you hear this and that,
a cold, snide remark,
you can't take anymore
and your whole day goes dark.

You shrug it off
and go on your way
in a grumpy mood
for the rest of the day.

Then you begin,
you and all your vexation,
you start to chide
at some kid's reputation.

Throwing harsh words around,
saying they don't mean a thing
but when you heard them minutes ago
only sobs could you sing.

We pass on the hate
and the hurt and the pain.
It isn't for us,
pass it on, play the game.

Just remember the baggage
you carry and wear
and how you never know
what another must bear.

Keep your cold hearted comments
and your words to cause pain,
just tear them apart
and throw them away

Spread a smile instead
a warm glow of light
let everyone know
today will be alright

And your smile will spread
around the world it will go
and if you stay positive
your neighbor's smile will grow

Someday you will find
with a smile so strong,
nothing can tear you down,
nothing will go wrong.

The Truest Sentence You Know

"All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know." -Ernest Hemmingway

Each day is a new day. Begin it with a yawn, a smile, and a thank you for the chance to be given this day. Be a morning person. Smile at everyone you see. Today is YOUR day. Do not compare it to anyone else's. You may encounter strife, setbacks, and struggles. So not complain about them and do not let them get you down; there is so much more to smile about. Find something (or someone) to love. Love them with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Find a passion, share a dream. Laugh. Be silly or goofy or weird or quirky. Be young. Be intelligent. Think before you speak and then do not regret what you say. Never apologize when you are not ready to, or if you are not in the wrong. Make mistakes, it shows you are trying, it makes you who you are. Take one moment a day to cry - but only for something you care so deeply about that it would hurt more not to cry. Do not push your problems or hurt onto others. Remember that everyone has baggage. Do not assume. Live today as if it were your last. Be able to light up a room with your mood, your personality, and your smile. Write, read, love, smile, laugh, dream, sing, pray. When the day is gone and done, crawl into bed, completely exhausted because you gave every part of your soul to today. Think a thought, dream a dream, close your eyes,  and smile yourself to sleep.

Smiles

Why must we, and by we I mean me...I'm working on it though, always bring others around us down? Why do we have to make it Paige: Pity Party of 8 rather than just Paige: Party of 1. Emphasis on the PARTY! Most people I know are very obvious about their bad days. They slump, the slouch, they complain, they sigh and moan and on and on till one cannot ignore it any longer. Then comes the sob story, then two people are left in yucky, grumpy moods. Or they throw their yuck attitude onto everyone else. Just because I'm having a bad day doesn't mean I have the right to ruin everyone else's. If someone is having a bad day and they need to talk it out, go for it! I'm all for that, but pushing a mopey attitude onto someone else just isn't fair. I know that sometimes I have trouble with this and I am working on it. It's written on my mirror so I see it every day when I wake up and every night before I go to sleep. It's a nice reminder that I'm not the only one here. Everyone has their bad days here and there, but remember, keep it positive :) Smile darn ya, Smile!