« through the viewfinder: spread happy »
Last week I was in the car listening to NPR, and heard a piece on a new study that seems to indicate that happiness is contagious:
According to the study, if you're happy, your friends who live nearby have a 25% higher chance of being happy. And your next-door neighbour? 30%.
I love this.
But wait, there's more! According to this study, if you're happy, not only do you have the power to make your friends happy, but you potentially have the power to make the friends of your friends happy. Just by being happy. I can hear the cynics among you scoffing, and admittedly, this does seem a bit crazy -- but seriously, what if they're right? And what have you got to lose by believing it?
The piece on NPR mainly discusses face-to-face interactions we have with each other, but personally, I think the same is true for the interactions we have electronically, as well. I don't know about you, but things that I read online -- whether a news article, a blog post or even an email -- can have a marked effect on my outlook for the day. Couple this with the Harvard study, I can't help but wonder: what would happen if each of us actually made an effort to put a bit of happy out there? Do you think it would make a difference?
Personally, I'm willing to try. So right, here, right now as I type this, here's something that's making me happy:
This weekend, I made two batches of my banana bread. Also this weekend, my family devoured two batches of my banana bread. Thinking about how much they enjoyed something I made for them from scratch with my own two hands (twice!) makes me deeply happy.
Now you: what's making you happy right here, right now? Feel free to share it in the comments below, or better still: if you have a blog, I'll challenge you to blog it, and then leave your link to your post here in the comments for others to read.
Let's see if we can spread happy.
Song: Love and happiness by Al Green
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 12:00AM
Reader Comments (29)
What's making me happy right now...
dreams coming true...
you being so happy..(teehee) makes me happy!
playing with our son at the beach this weekend..
the word mama...
wishes....
family! xx
I couldn't help myself - I am sharing some thoughts about happiness and joy on my blog.
http://milk-and-berries.blogspot.com/2008/12/happiness-is-contagious.html
Great topic, I just wish there were more happy people surrounding me in my little world.
Okay, I'll bite! What to blog about when I don't know what to blog about: stuff which makes me happy. Sounds like a good a topic as any...and the bonus is, writing about it reminds me to smile about it!!
http://emzeegee.blogspot.com/2008/12/happy-is-as-happy-does.html
I had already posted before reading your post - but the little girl in hot pink made me feel happy:
http://nowiswowtoo.blogspot.com/2008/12/girl-in-hot-pink-with-magic-wand-gets.html
happiness is
making lunch this morning for a happy 16 year old
singing a new song yesterday
stars in the sunshine:
http://www.redorgray.com/
I'm happy thinking about laughing with my husband in bed the other night. Just discussing the events of the day and finding something humorous and then both of us having a big ol' belly laugh about it--after 17 years together we can still crack each other up. THAT makes me happy.
Doing my part to spread a little happy:
www.airynothings.com
I love your blog, btw. It's also something that makes me happy!!!
I agree with Glad Doggett - your blog always makes me smile. I added my happy to the pile at
www.gratitudepractices.blogspot.com
Have a great day!
i am crippled with parkinson's disease and blogging is a great theropy. I produce all of my art and videos to share with the public. i blog a lot of humor art. i love humor. All of my works are FREE for you to download and share and enjoy.
http://drainer.blogspot.com
http://cookingarbage.blogspot.com
h.a.p.p.y.
waking up these morning with a big smile - knowing i did not have to go to work today until wednesday
looking again at some photos / drawings / collage that i very much like, made by different women and discovered since the month of november on diverse blogs : put together and in a specific order : they reveal my story, how i have been feeling reclently ... like little beads on the thread of my life and they make me so h.a.p.p.y. !!!
seeing today's photographs from "ink on my fingers" ... they taste like cherry bonbons ....
reading your article ... as we say in french
taking the time to look around us and seeing ... beauty http://souriredelune.over-blog.com/