My 100 Happy Days

      4 Comments on My 100 Happy Days

Can you be happy for 100 days in a row?

So there it was, another strong slogan that was all over Facebook…. well, it’s just another silly social media trend… they seem to be the fashionable things these days…. you know those trends that the world decide to follow and which turns us into clones of each other…

http://100happydays.com

But I decided to give a proper look at this one… after all one of my dearest friends (Thanks C x) told me this had a lot to do with me as happiness is what I am all about, so why not?

 

I have to say that even though I am not one of those that get stuck in that spider web of following trends, I have to confess that it didn’t take long for me to decide to give this one a shot. Mainly because I love a challenge, but also because I thought it would be interesting to kinda create a photographic diary of my happy moments, so I could then reflect what has made me the happiest during this trip. Also, the fact that I have been ignoring my Instagram account was another reason that I was quite eager to give it a renovation by starting to finally post pictures regularly.

 

So my saga of “Yes I am happy and look at my happy moment of the day” was born.
Many said it was a silly thing to do and they don’t need to tell the world why they are happy (those same people are likely the ones to tell the world when they go to the toilet on twitter)  but I have to say I had a blast and that I have also learned a thing or two about happiness and what really made me happy.

So yesterday the final day arrived, and after 100 days in a row documenting what made me happy  the answer might be surprising!

Yes, I am living my dream!

Yes, I’m on a long around the world trip!

Yes, I am always happy anyway!
Yes, I am seeing some of the most wonderful things the world has to offer…

 

However, I have also noticed that some of the things that made me the happiest, were the simple things in life… Like getting a delicious dish after starving for hours (or even days) somewhere remote (or not); or having a 5min conversation with a random little old man that struggled to speak English, or that moment you find a nice and clean room for the night, or the pleasure you get from finishing that book you just started 3 days ago, or that moment you hugged the little girl that is shaking because she’s is cold, or you just had a pedicure and your feet look human again etc etc..

 

Day 100

Day 100

I believe that being happy is a choice and everyone can be happy if they relax and learn how to appreciate the little and simple things in life instead of putting too much pressure and expectations on “big deals”…

Yesterday, I was kinda putting pressure on myself to have a very special moment as was the final day of the challenge, so I was kinda hoping for that “lightning” moment, the one that would be so amazing that everyone would go “WOW”…. but no, there was nothing too special that could potentially happen when you are in a tiny little village in the middle of nowhere … but then it happened, and it was so clear. In fact the happiest moment was something really simple! I lied down on this long chair and looked to the swimming pool in front of me and my brain started to travel as it often does and leaves me alone with my body… and then suddenly it all came back, as I reminded myself I’m in Cambodia,  the country I fell in love with four years ago, and now here I am, again in my favorite country – as part of my around the world trip, and I’m in the middle of a tiny “town” yes, and yeah, it is in the middle of nowhere, but it’s surrounded by the ocean and by a jungle, people  all around are smiley and beautiful, my bungalow is super clean and cute and so cheap, and this, this is what I have been working for for many years! To achieve this happiness and this freedom!

But I truly am happy, I have always been, and want to remain happy for the rest of my life. Will it be difficult? I don’t think so, because to me, the glass is always half full.

 

But what about the rest of the world? Because happiness is quite contagious I believe… I mean can I be happy if everyone around me is unhappy?
Are people afraid to find happiness? Do they truly believe they are unhappy? It actually makes me sad, really…

I do know a lot of people, including many of which are good friends that have unhappy lives. And I wonder if they are asking for that… if its a trend of the western world?

 

What I can say is that I have been traveling around the world and here I am… In Cambodia, a country that only 30 years ago lived through one of the most terrible genoicides that the modern world has ever known, a country where a large percentage of people make less that 2 dollars a day, a country filled with land mines (proven by the huge percentage of folks missing a limb)….  But this is the same country that children, men, woman, old or young, all have a beautiful smile and a beautiful laugh. And you know what? I look into their eyes and I see true happiness.

 

So do yourself a favor and stop to think about what makes you happy and find something in your everyday life that makes you smile 🙂

Be happy. Find happiness. Don’t be afraid to be happy. And don’t think you don’t deserve happiness.

 

Some of my happy moments for the last 100 days =)

People definitely makes me happy!

People definitely makes me happy!

Nature never fails to impress me
Nature never fails to impress me

Random and "small" things
Random and “small” things

 

 

My 100 happy days diary on Instagram:

4 thoughts on “My 100 Happy Days

  1. Danilo

    Awww Emma! This post just made me soooo happy! You are right happiness is contagious! We got to smile everyday, no matter what. We got to feel blessed to be what we are and how we are everyday, no mountains is too high! 🙂 i’m so happy to be featured (in the pictures!) love xxx

    Reply
    1. emmaolmi Post author

      ahahahaha Thanks hun and surely you would be featured as you were definitely part of my happy days <3
      Miss you
      Love xxx

      Reply
  2. Mamã

    Uma apreciação de vida muito interessante.
    Realmente as pequenas coisas da vida é que nos fazem felizes. É como uma bola de neve, que vai rolando e leva a felicidade a crescer também.
    Sê feliz
    🙂 Beijinhos

    Reply
    1. emmaolmi Post author

      Awww que giro mama. Tens razao…. e boa comparacao 🙂 e a minha “bola de neve” é gigante ahahhaha
      Beijinhos com saudades xxxx

      Reply

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