I generally try to live my life as an optimistic person. When stress sets in, however, I tend to get very cranky. So I decided to force myself to be happy for 5 days and see what happens.

The Challenge: I must fulfill one “happy task” a day. I must meditate every day, and I must try to radiate positivity wherever I go.

Day 1: Happy Task: No Complaining

I thrive on complaining. I literally complain about everything, and I never realized it until today. This was such a big effort. I’m actually a little tired and have a migraine, and I’m pretty sure they’re related (not that I’m complaining). I’m really thankful this was the first thing I did though, because I now realize how much I actually need this challenge. I kept a tally of how many times I almost complained today, and it came out to 18. This is going to be a long week.

Day 2: Happy Task: Wear Clothes That Make You Feel Good

This is the best “happy task” of the week in my opinion. If you look good on the outside you feel good on the inside because you can take pride in how you look.Today I wore my favorite flannel, black skinny jeans, a leather jacket and Converse. That might seem like it’s not such a big deal, but I never have the courage to wear more masculine clothes even though that’s what I feel most comfortable in. Today though, I swallowed my fear and wore the clothes I want, and I felt like a badass.

Day 3: Happy Task: Smile at Everyone You See

I was very nervous about this task because I did not want people to think I was weird. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when I found that the majority of the people I smiled at smiled back! I was walking down the street and smiling at people, shopping at the Jewel and smiling at people, I even waved and smiled to the person in the car next to me at a red light! So many people’s faces lit up when I smiled at them, and it made my day as much as I hope it made theirs.

Day 4: Happy Task: Go Somewhere That Makes You Happy

After work today I went to the park, and I laid in the grass and listened to the wind. It was so calming. I have grown so thankful for this week and all the joy and peace it has caused me. I am sad the challenge is stopping tomorrow, but I fully intend to keep up this positivity in my life. Words cannot express how grateful I am for this week.

Day 5: Happy Task: Make Other People Happy

Today I have made a point to compliment everyone I consider myself close with today. I really want to mose sure it’s not a superficial compliment though. I have been complimenting them on their talents or their personalities, basically just things about them I appreciate that aren’t to do with appearance. I love seeing the smiles light up on their faces, it’s been making my day. All in all this challenge has been really calming for me, and I’m happy to embrace a new sense of peace and joy as summer approaches.

As a society, we’ve grown to the point where happiness takes the backseat to so-called “success.” What I’ve learned this past week, however, has shown me that we should really be doing the opposite. Happiness is not always do-able, and as a human it’s important to feel a whole range of emotions. But I have found that you don’t have to make an effort to be happy, you just have to allow yourself to do so. That can be really difficult, especially when all you want to do is curl up into a ball and cry from all the stress in your life, but it’s possible. It’s so possible. Your body, your mind, and your heart will thank you.