the challenge--follow up

(via)

30 days have come and gone, my friends. I'm not sure when, but I think "The Challenge" is officially over.

It all started off as a way to intentionally do little things that would inspire our own happiness. From taking a bath after a long day to getting drinks with friends--we pledged to set aside some time each day to be happy.

At first, I was really diligent. Purposefully deciding what each day's "task" would be. But as time went on, I was finding that smaller things were making me happy and I no longer needed to "plan" them. Then I stopped paying attention to days and before I knew it... 30 days had passed.

Was I happier? I think so.
But was that the important part, really? Probably not.

Happiness is such a weird thing to define. Regardless of how hard we try, there will always be things that affect our mood that are out of our control. That's life. But if we make a conscious effort to personally invest in our own happiness, whether for 30 days in row, once a week or as often as we need to, I think it's possible to make ourselves happier and healthier.

The reminder that yes, I was in control of my own happiness is all I needed out of this challenge. Everyone is going to have bad days. But it's how you pick yourself up from those days and carry yourself onto the next that really matters. No one or nothing should be allowed to tear you down, but if they do just remember.... YOU are in control of your OWN happiness.