HappyUP-date

(for those new to Nutter's Notes, go to March archive and page through my 7 day HappyUp excercise if the following makes no sense to you)

Ever since I did those seven days of looking for things to be happy about - it's like potato chips! I can't stop. OK...that's a bit of a stretch. But, I do keep coming back to looking for those items...as they occur.

It's crazy!!!- I'll stop at different times of the day and just make a little note in my journal "5/8 HU! (shorthand for HappyUP!)...30 minutes at gym went well...raked dirt in garden and noticed the smell...my printer kicked out the reports I needed when I was in a rush....I had a nice interaction with Mel...I had some banana cream pie left in the fridge (and ate some for breakfast)....gorgeous drive to work with the top down...had a meeting that went well....stopped by house at lunch and there was some banana cream pie left....

It's just the little things - that pass us by everyday and we miss them. Why?

Because we think they are supposed to happen - cerebrally, we know that bad stuff is going to happen or not everything is going to go our way. Deep down, though, I am not so sure that we are sold on this fact. Deep down, we think everything is supposed to just flow along....

And, when it doesn't - man, do we notice!!! In fact, some of us are VERY observant. We are so observant that we can't wait to tell others about it.

I read a great line last night - "as you walk down your path, a bird is going to poop on you (OK...the book didn't say "poop". It said the other word so use that one if you like it better). A bird is going to poop on you. Don't wipe it off. Laugh."

That was about as great a description of HappyUP!!! - as I could imagine.

All of the things that I mentioned above happened before lunch this morning - and there were a ton that I am sure that I missed. Like tonight, "HU! 5/8 pm....there was still banana cream pie left ---- so I ate it!"

Remember: jot down "contenders" for your three HappyUP!!! ideas- as you go about your day. At the end of the day, pick your best three. Then write why they happened and why they made you happy. 7 days...that's all you need to do it for...but you have to do it. Yes, I am sorry. Work is involved.

Here's the newsflash - it takes WORK to increase your HQ (Happiness Quotient). Much like you don't have to be sick to get better, you don't have to be sad to get happier.