Becoming Bliss | Creating a Happy File
One of my favorite parts of college was being an orientation leader. Everything about it was so exciting. It's what made me really fall in love with my university, and then I became passionate about sharing that love with all of the new bulldawgs coming to Louisiana Tech. I became really close to fifteen people rather quickly, and they were like my little summer family.
Becoming an orientation leader is what helped bring me out of my shell. While I do have my introverted moments (and many of them), I usually like to be outgoing and just outright weird (#ESFJ). Being an orientation leader brought me so much happiness in the simplest of ways, and one of my favorite ways was with the creation of a happy file. I guess it wasn't technically a happy file per say, at least not at first. I created a happy file on my own with the help of OSL.
Being an OSL was like taking a class. We really had to learn about the university and take tests, and this was all done in a private little classroom. On the wall of the classroom hung paper bags with each of our names on them. We were instructed to write down nice things about one another and put them in the bags. This was done sporadically and randomly and pretty much anytime that you noticed your fellow orientation leaders doing something awesome.
It always amazed me how I was viewed in the eyes of others. I never thought of myself of funny or clever or witty, but all of these notes said otherwise. And what did I do with these notes? I put them in what I now call my happy file. All of the little warm fuzzies that my summer family wrote for me were put into a file, and anytime that I'm feeling down in the dumps, I pull it out and read them.
Since my OSL summer, which was in 2010, I've added to my happy file. In it are cards and notes that say nice things about me, pictures of amazing memories that I love to relive, inspirational quotes and photos and so many other things. Whenever I need a pick-me-up, I pull out my file. Just reading and seeing all of these things instantly pulls me out of my foul mood.
I know everyone has their different processes to pull themselves out of anger or sadness or any other unhappy emotion, but I want to challenge you to create a happy file for yourself. Pull out old greeting cards, print out some fun pictures, get on Pinterest or Etsy and print out or order some inspirational quotes or printables, scour the internet for memes or photos that make you laugh. Anything that makes you smile should go in your happy file. When you're not feeling 100%, take out your happy file and let that help you turn your mood around.
I hope your day is full of happiness!
What things would go in your happy file?
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I love browsing Pinterest for inspirational quotes.
ReplyDeleteIt puts me in a positive mood even if I am feeling really down.
xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys
That's so cool that you were an orientation leader! I always wanted to do that!
ReplyDelete-Morgan
How 2 Wear It ...
This is such a neat idea! Love it It :)
ReplyDeleteXO Kay | Fashionably Kay
This is SUCH a good idea! I do a similar thing with the wall space behind my desk - I fill the corkboard with cute notes from friends (basically 80% of it is notes from Erica) as well as happy pictures of the fiance and I, things I'm proud of, and other stuff that makes me happy. Especially when I'm stressed about life, looking up from my laptop and seeing all the happy always cheers me up!
ReplyDeleteacupoftay.com
Such a great idea! We all could use a pick-me-up every once in a while. :)
ReplyDeleteAllyssa | Life with Lyss
I have never put them into folders but I do have a scrapbook and I try to get a picture of the two of us to include. Though I haven't updated it in years!!
ReplyDeleteI did the same thing omg. Any time I went to camp or had a miniscule development of sorts, I'd save all of the nice remarks that people made by the time it was over, and I have them all stored away to look at whenever I'm feeling a bit down. It's an amazing thing, and I feel like it's gonna come in handy years down the road when we just need a little refresher of the awesomeness within us!
ReplyDeletecominguprosestheblog.com
This is such a great idea! Last year I kept a jar and a stack of sticky notes & every time something good or memorable happened I wrote it down and stuck it in the jar. This year, when I'm having a down day I pull one out and relive that happy memory and it makes my day much better!
ReplyDeletexoxo, SS
The
Southern Stylista
My "Happy File" is a memory board that I kept all throughout college! It has a few photos, random souvenirs from mixers and university events, and little "compliment cards" from sorority retreat each year.
ReplyDeleteXX, SS || A Little Seersucker Sass
This is wonderful. What a great idea.
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea! I could use a happy file for rainy days. Great tip!
ReplyDeleteSuch a good idea! I've been thinking about making a memory jar similar to Jordyn Brown's jar that she talked about in her comment.
ReplyDeletehttp://thealwaysblog.com
Love the idea of a happy file! For a while I journaled every day about the things that made me happy that day.
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Ashley
privateschoolprepster.blogspot.com
Copy catting this idea... I love it! Great giveaway, too! :)
ReplyDeletexo,
Stephanie
Diary of a Debutante
www.thediaryofadebutante.com
Glad you love it!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea too!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like an awesome idea!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Valerie!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I used to have a memory board too. They just make me so happy.
ReplyDeleteI love that idea! I think I may adopt it myself. That's a great thing to do every new year's eve.
ReplyDeleteWhy are we the same person? That's so awesome!
ReplyDeleteI would love to scrapbook all of the things in my happy file. That's a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree!
ReplyDeleteHaha that's so great! I love that you have it displayed to you can view it all the time.
ReplyDeleteI agree! It's always nice to remember the nice things people think about you when you're not feeling so great about yourself.
ReplyDeleteGlad you love it, Makayla!
ReplyDeleteMe too! My inspirational board on Pinterest is out of control with awesome!
ReplyDeleteI loved it so much! It was such a fun experience!
ReplyDeleteI totally use this too! I call it my Smile File :) Super nerdy but I love it! xo
ReplyDeleteThat's such a cute name! I love it!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh - they did that exact same exercise with us back in primary school! I must have been about 8, and I have that piece of paper stashed somewhere in my memory boxes. It's such a wonderful feeling seeing the beautiful qualities in yourself through other people's eyes especially when you're going through a hard time. A wonderful idea that I may use soon haha :D
ReplyDeleteWith Love, Fatema | creativeinthearts.blogspot.co.uk
That's so awesome! I wish my primary school would have done something like this. It really is awesome to catch a glimpse of yourself through someone else's eyes.
ReplyDeleteWe always used to do this on one of the last days of camp. We each had a sheet of paper with our name on it, and people would write you nice messages from the summer. The camp then emailed them out in November to remind you once you'd settled in back at home how wonderful you are!
ReplyDeleteI went through a pretty down time in my final year of uni and a councilor recommended I keep a journal. She told me to write 3 positive things about myself every day (which is hard to do! We're so negative about ourselves) as well as write down anything nice that someone else said about me over the course of the day, or things that made me feel good. Essentially tracking your happy.
It was hard to do at first, but eventually it became second nature, and before long I didn't need the book anymore. I still have it as a reminder though.
That's such an amazing way to end camp! I love that idea so much. I also love the idea of writing down three positive things about yourself every day. I'm sure I'd have a tough time too, but it's an awesome thing to look back on. Maybe I'll start doing that!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the diary of happy things about yourself gets way easier. It can be anything from "my hair is really shiny today" to "I finished that Sudoku in 4 minutes like a boss!". Then when you have days when you're full of self doubt you can read it and remember why you're awesome
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh the idea of a happy file is such a good idea! It is nice when you are feeling a little down to be able to look at the positive and rereading compliments from other people is always so encouraging.
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