SMILE: Happy International Happiness Day!

At Glade Festival in 2012

“Happiness may have different meanings for different people. But we can all agree that it means working to end conflict, poverty and other unfortunate conditions in which so many of our fellow human beings live.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Read here about International Happiness Day and why the United Nations created this day to reclaim happiness.

I think it is so important to be aware of our happiness, particularly with so many distractions all around us. Many of us are working more than one job to make ends meet, are dealing with ridiculous workloads, have the stresses of parenthood or various other issues to deal with. Add things like iPhones into the mix and the constant distractions of those email or text bleeps are stopping us from both feeling and recognising our everyday happiness. I know so many people, myself included who are so caught up in their workload and stresses of their lives that they forget to take a step back and appreciate things. This is one reason I was so glad to have a break from everything last week and head off to London for some fun and to forget about work and everything else for a couple of days. It was so refreshing and I even turned my phone on silent for once!

Pushing my giant snowball

I hate that the UN feel they have to mark a day out as one to feel especially happy for, but it is so necessary when everyone is so busy. We live in a world where we do have to schedule in happiness and downtime. But if that is the case, then let’s make this day count. I’m making it my business to make my happiness spread to as many other people as possible, whether friends and family, other bloggers, Twitter followers or Facebook friends. I’m going to take a step back from all the chaos the day brings and remember to appreciate the little things and to share them with others, along with a smile. Why don’t you do the same? Make it your business to share a smile today – once you have made yourself happy, pass it on and watch the smiles spread.

What has made you happy today? What have you done to spread this smile and make the world a happier place?

A little slice of happiness that is brightening up my week

Me, Leanne and Rach at a beach party in Ibiza

As part of this fresh start I keep going on about, I am making it my business to really appreciate the things that make me happy and to make a point of remembering them. Some people have started those jar collections where they write down all the good memories, however small and seemingly insignificant, and put them in a jar to be brought out at the end of the year. A lovely idea,  but one I know I won’t keep up – especially when I have a blog to flick back through and see all my wonderful memories. Instead, I thought I would try to keep a note of the things that make me smile, so here are just some of the things that have brightened up my week so far.

• Putting the biggest smile on my face is the thought of seeing both of my best friends this weekend, one now lives a few hours away and I haven’t seen her since Christmas so I am really excited to see her face and to catch up on everything.
• A complete stranger told me how pretty I am – always nice to hear!
• Yesterday, I was really shocked by someone’s actions, it doesn’t matter what they did, but it was a good surprise. It really is lovely when people catch you off-guard with good behaviour – reminds you there is good out there.
• Having an evening at home to myself to spend blogging and reading with candles, chocolates and good music – just time by myself – much-needed!
• Going for a lovely drive by myself with a great soundtrack in the beautiful sunshine on Sunday – perfect.
• Having a huge download session and getting lots of great new music always puts a smile on my face – there really is nothing like a good soundtrack to your life.
• The thought of a good gym session tonight – had an epic one at the weekend with lots of cardio that left me with jelly legs by the end – looking forward to another one tonight.
• A new book arrived and I started it last night, it is helping my with my big plans for the future and puts an instant smile on my face just thinking about it – looking forward to doing more research tonight.
• The reminder that it is just eight weeks until I jet off to visit my sister in The Big Apple!!
• I’ve had a big smile on my face since spending the weekend with an amazing friend from university who I have only seen once since graduation. Catching up over a glass of wine was great and it reminded me that good friends are the sort that make you feel good about yourself.

It’s been a good week so far, at least better than the last two, and I’m appreciating that. The bigger stuff often takes over, but it can be good to look at and take note of the little things that get us through the harder days.

What amazing, lovely, kind, happy things have happened to you this week?

In response to Write Meg’s ‘selfie’ post – what if your face just isn’t quite right?

In response to Write Meg’s ‘selfie’ post – what if your face just isn’t quite right?

I was really interested in reading Write Meg’s post this morning about “the humble selfie has practically risen to its own art form” because it is something that I have watched shoot to fame with the introduction of Instagram and as Facebook developed. Only 23, I still remember a time when my house had no computer and certainly no mobile phones. Photos were not digital for the Ruthnum household and they were only taken on special occasions by my parents or extended family – usually with half a finger over the lens or someone pulling a funny face, but with no way of knowing until they had been printed.

Now, everyone has an iPhone or something similar, having had mine stolen recently and lived without it for some time (I actually felt refreshed and relieved to have a short break) but it does leave you at a bit of a loss for things like photo-taking and sharing. I am a big lover of having a camera on every night out and snapping endless pictures of my life, I love Instagram because I see it as a wordless blog and a way of sharing my life with my friends. I am that friend that is partially hated by others for capturing the moments people least want on camera – many will send me that dreaded text the morning after a night out begging me not to put that picture, or that video, on Facebook.

I love pictures that show people in the moment – not posing – just having fun and sharing memories. If a pictures doesn’t not instantly transport me back to a wonderful time and place in the endless library of my memory – what is the point?

However, I am not adverse to the odd selfie, mainly if my face happens to have fallen into place quite well after a night of tossing and turning in my bed. I just don’t understand the point of uploading a different one each day, basically of you pulling the same face, with the only difference being a different outfit!

But that is my next issue – how do these girls get their faces to make such different faces? My face is stuck on two settings – big grinning smile, or neutral. Sometimes it will venture into mildly annoyed from the neutral, but rarely. I’m always one of those people who prefer to have a smile on their face.

But this new generation of girls have pouts, gasp faces, cheeky grins, big eyes, and all the rest that they seem to accentuate in their photos! Genuinely, if you look through my photos on Facebook, you will see clearly that my face does something very similar in each. Mainly because when I take photos, it is usually because I am having the time of my life. I’ll admit, it’s slightly embarrassing but sometimes I do long to be able to pull off a pout, or a sticky out tongue picture – but then I figure, what’s the point?

Let’s be honest, pouts just look ridiculous, especially when you see the pictures of groups on girls tarted up on a night out all sticking their lips out until they protrude further than their noses. Screw it, I’m sticking it the old-fashioned, but classy smile. It’s always worked for me so far!