Make it Happy

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Abraham Lincoln

 We all know things can't possibly ALWAYS be great, in fact there are just some down right difficult things to handle that life throws at you every now and again.  So, if you add little spots of sunshine whenever and wherever you can, you can have a life filled with great MOST of the time.

I think that is pretty cool. 

 And I do my best (with help from my adorable little family) to 

"Make it Happy" everyday. 

 What the heck is this chick talking about?  I know that is what some of you are thinking.

So let me explain what I am trying to say.

In a very small specific kind of way.

Here are three happy making examples.

We all have our daily business to get to.  Appointments, school functions, business meetings...

 blah, blah, blah  and yes most of us have an iPhone or some sort of organizing device.  All good.

Keeps you sane and organized, all a part of being happy.  

However remember the good ol' fashioned calendar?

You could write everything down, doodle on it, write down the exact moment your 2nd child said her first word.  It used to reside in the kitchen on the fridge.  I was feeling the need to have that again but wanted it to be a better version... a more fun, bigger and cooler version then the store bought kind. (Don't get insulted, those are good too, just not for me.)

Well here is what I came up with...

A wall sized calendar!  Definitely bigger.  

Just in case you want to know how I made this, I will do my best to describe...

- 2 sheets of newsprint paper off of a pad

- colored string or yarn

- push pins

- Then I printed on brown butcher paper in various fonts the months

I needed as well as the numbers.

- I had my husband measure out the graph of the calendar,

and I created the spaces accordingly.

You can make this as big or as small as you want!

 The thing is, this space was just a big empty space.

We walked by it daily, no biggy.

HUGE BIGGY! 

 Now walking by this documentation of life evokes a smile.

A quick moment of emotion that didn't exist before.   

I didn't have, nor did I want a giant painting for this wall at the top of the stairs.

As soon as this went up, it just changed the space from Meh to Yeah!

Taking a daily ritual or a life ritual and making it into something more.

Something meaningful.  I am making up my mind a little every day. 

(Remember the quote from Abe.)

The more happy thoughts I have, the more happy ideas are formed in my brain,

the more happiness I see in my family, which makes even more happy thoughts.

It comes full circle people.

Let's talk more about the little creatures in our lives that bring bountiful amounts

of pure joy.  Don't you just want to reciprocate to these little ones.

In any moment,  I ask myself how can I make it just a little better.

I am always trying for that purest smile when they are just in their moment of good life.

I had this thought when a tooth fell out.

 What a lucky fairy to get that precious tooth.

How could she ever repay her.

Take a life moment... every one of them, and make it more.

Make it a memory, so the days don't just roll by one after another.

THIS WAS A GREAT DAY!

THE TOOTH FAIRY CAME TO OUR HOUSE!

YAHOO!

Now what about the outside world.  Nothing much to do about that now is there?

OR

Is there?

The preschool bathroom of my kids preschool was NOT a happy place.

It was a run in, do what you gotta do, and get out as quick as you can kinda place.

Felt a little germier then necessary.

You certainly did not want to take the extra 2 minutes to sing the ABC song while washing your hands.

It was cold and gray and yucky.

I saw an opportunity to shine a ray of light and make not only my kids'

day a little sweeter but many kids' in the years to come.

Come on fabulous artist husband, we got a job to do. 

Let's get these kids to enjoy the potty.

Let's get 'em to wash up when needed.

I even heard someone say

"Now it's fun to go in there and go poo poo"

I mean really.

What more could you want.

Our work is done.

I just think you get back exactly what you put in.
Smile more, give people compliments, laugh hard, don't be afraid to be silly with your kids,
especially in public, sing loud and proud, offer someone who looks stressed and in a rush cuts in line, really look at yourself in the mirror every morning and make the decision to have a great day.
 Even if someone steals your parking spot.
Just smile and wave and wish them more happiness in their lives so they won't feel the need to do that to the next person.
I'm not trying to sound preachy.

I am just discovering the point of my existence and I am really excited about it.

I will leave you now with another quote I happen to agree with.

Happiness is not something ready made.  It comes from your own actions.

Dalai Lama

Good luck out there!

Choose HAPPY and we will change the world.