8 Self health & fitness
100 HAPPY DAYS OF SUMMER
Their challenge was to find one thing a day that made you happy and post it online via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram When I saw this, I thought it was a pretty easy thing to do. Some of the celebrities I followed on Instagram were even doing the challenge. So I figured, “Sure, I can find one thing a day.” It might even be a morale boost.
What made you happy today? Was it a nice text that you got from a friend or significant other? Was it the nice weather on your walk to class? Or was it simple, such as a nice smile from a stranger or an extra fortune cookie you got from Panda Express? If you take a moment to think about it, there could be an endless list of things that made you happy at some point during your day. This was a realization someone had and, in response, created an online challenge called The 100 Happy Days Challenge, at 100happydays.com. The website claims that we live in busy times and when busy schedules are the norm, we are living less in the moment. To all you college students out there, sound about right?
The challengers warned that 71 percent of the people who start this challenge do not complete it, with “lack of time” their reason. They stated that people were just too busy to be happy. They ask, are you one of these people? I figured, if I took the initiative to challenge myself to remind myself of what makes me happy and thankful, I could literally change my outlook and start being more optimistic. So, I started I posting away with things that made me happy, such as having a good workout or a delicious meal I enjoyed that day – random things. However, as I got further into the challenge, I started forgetting to post on some days. As the days progressed, and school and life kept getting more hectic than it already was, I became one of those people who “was just too busy” and stopped posting. But there is always a chance at redemption, right? I did a little contemplation and realized that the heart of the
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AMELIA MUGAVERO Gamma Phi Beta
Amelia is a sophomore studying broadcast journalism. You may contact her at mugaver2@illinois. edu. challenge is to remind you to stop to smell the roses every once in a while and to make you realize how blessed we all are. This summer, I am starting fresh, challenging myself and everyone who reads this to take on the #100HappyDays Challenge. All you have to do is go to 100happydays.com, sign up and you are all set to go! Happiness is in the eyes of the beholder, so you are free to post anything and everything that makes you happy each day. It can be a simple smile, good weather or, heck, even a delicious plate of food could suffice. You even get a book sent to you at the end of the challenge, which contains all the pictures you posted of things that made you happy. In the words of Pharell Williams, do you feel like a room without a roof? Are you willing to take on the challenge to be happy? Yes? Then get ready, get set and let’s go be happy!