The 100 Happy Days Challenge.

This morning I tripped onto the 100 Happy Days Challenge.

Perhaps you've heard about it? Or read about it recently here or here? The project is a simple one: snap a pic of something that makes you happy. Do so every day for the next 100 days. Post the pic somewhere. Anywhere. Notice what happens for you as you go along. Ta Da! That's it! Couldn't be simpler. People all over the world and a host of little girls taking prom dress selfies are already doing it. Why not you?

---

But Why even bother?

Ah, here's the thing. What we choose to notice and attend to is what we are choosing to experience. Moment by moment. It's not quite as simple as that. Of course. We all know that. What we don't always realize, however, is there are some things, like mood, we can shift through small conscious daily actions. Quite a lot, actually.

I get it, you have lots of crap going on in your life that isn't pleasant. I do too. Sometimes.

Because, sometimes that's just part of being on the planet. There are moments when life sucks big time. And there's a good chance even when things are going well, there are still aspects of life that just plain suck.

But, here's the important thing to grab ahold of in all this:

Even in the midst of the crap, chaos, job loss, relationship crisis, health crisis, overwhelming anxiety, body aches, real emotional struggle, or plain bad mood days, there's something good. There is something "more good" than that thing needling you in the moment. It's a matter of noticing it and giving it a little space, right up there against all that is pressing, urgent, and unpleasant. If you take the time to notice the good, beautiful, or merely pleasant, even for a moment, shift can occur.

The 100 Days Of Happiness Challenge lines up perfectly with one of the ways I coach my clients.

Gotta say it, "I LOVE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS!" Who wouldn't? Here's the thing I am teaching clients every day: Be conscious of the beauty around you. Even small things. Especially small things. It's a practice. You can make it a habit. So, take a walk and pay attention to what you see, hear, and smell. Find the beauty, even in the broken, rusty, and chaotic. Notice color. Notice birds dancing and singing. Notice the sky. The way the breeze moves the leaves. The sounds the trees make. People watch--they're all amazingly unique.

Find pleasure wherever you are and in whatever you are doing. Even in your mundane daily tasks. Attend to pleasure. Attend to beauty. Attend to the small gifts Life has to offer, because they add up.

They add up.

Track what happens in your life when you notice the small good that is there. Notice how your body responds when you are attending to what is good, beautiful, or even merely mildly pleasant. Does it relax? Do you move into greater ease? Do you notice a slight or even major shift in mood?

I'm not asking you to ignore your pain and discomfort.

Chances are, there's no ignoring it, anyway. But sucking it up isn't your only option either.

So, notice the pain when it comes up. Notice the sadness and the anger. It's there and it's louder than what is at ease and in a state of well-being.

AND also notice where in your life you feel best or most at ease. Look for it! Even in small ways. Even in a simple pic of something that brings you pleasure in the moment. Those moments add up in powerful ways. When we take the time, even a few seconds, to acknowledge these pleasurable moments, we help them expand in our awareness. We remember they happened in the first place. They become an inner sense-memory and resource. They feed our resilience. We own them. We set a place for them at our table.

Anything can happen once we enter that parituclar conversation.

I'll be sharing my 100 Happy Days with you and I'd love to see yours.

I'll be sharing my 100 Happy Days on my Facebook page, on Twitter, and likely here, as well. Please share your 100 Happy Days with me. I'd love to see them. I'd love to hear what you notice about Life as you move forward, day by day, taking note of where you find your small and large happy moments.

---