It's called 100 happy days and people all over the world are doing it. You simply take a photo of something that day that made you happy and upload it to whatever social media outlet you are addicted to.
Make sure you write "#100happydays" in the post, so you can go back over and look at them all at the end. I'm doing it on our Classic Hits 95FM Facebook (feel free to search it and "like"), but you can do it for twitter, instagram etc. If you're not a social media-ite, then just email it to a group of mates each day. The only catch is it has to be something that makes you truly happy. I found this bit a little hard, we often we post stuff online to make others jealous/show off. Don't try to deny it, you know you do it, deep down.
Why else would someone take a photo of what they're having for dinner, or tell me how the gym was? They can't think I care about how many reps they did, or how far they ran? Is their spaghetti Bolognese going change my life? Nope. But they post it anyway! I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, we all like a little praise. But this is not
about praise.
Here's a list of the photos I've posted so far:
• With girlfriend (Hayley) walking on the beach, eating iceblocks, in the sun. You're officially dead if you can't find some happy in that.
• My golf scorecard. Golf is where I get to forget everything and just focus on one thing, how bad my golf is! It's still a happy break from busyness.
• View from my bed and out to the garden just before a mid-arvo nap. Nap is my happy place.
• TV with the cricket on. Had a few mates round chilling in front of a test match the Blackcaps actually won! Such a hard team to support, except for when they win.
• Picture from the men's bathroom of a restaurant I was in, of a 1970s Smirnoff Vodka ad: "Nothing makes brunch take off like Smirnoff". Can't argue with that marketing.
• Our rabbit (Murray) with his chew towel. Looks like the towel has been shot with a shotgun. Cute little bugger, loves a little towel for dinner. We'd make great parents...
• Car with number plate "BOOBS". Self-explanatory.
In the end it's about taking that extra second/minute/hour to focus on what is making you happy in that moment, or at the end of the day when you're reflecting. If we can't do that, in the beautiful place we live, then what are we even here for?
PS...how did they get away with getting that number plate? I want it for Hayley's car. I'm sure she'd think it was the perfect Valentine's gift...
(Will Johnston is the host of Will and Bridget in the Morning-Classic Hits 95FM Breakfast Show in the Bay of Plenty. Listen every weekday from 6-9am.)