Live Happy Smiley Face Cupcakes for Happy Acts

Let’s Make the World a Kinder Place With Acts of Happiness

In celebration of the International Day of Happiness (IDOH), Live Happy encourages you to spread more happiness for 31 days during the month of March. Every year we ask you to join us in celebrating the International Day of Happiness (IDOH) on March 20, by making the world a happier place through our 2022 #HappyActs campaign. This year is no different, but the need for more acts of kindness may be more important than ever. For more than two years now, the world has suffered great losses, felt more stress, and experienced more isolation than any time in recent history. With positive mindsets, attitudes and actions, we can turn hopelessness into hopefulness and helplessness into helpfulness. This year’s HappyActs campaign is focused on making kindness the new normal, especially on social media. This isn’t just an act of kindness, but an act of hope that collectively we can change the future to be a more positive and happier place for all. In this current state of the world where it seems no one can agree on anything and polarization and conflict seem to be on the rise, now is time to change the tone to express kindness and love so we can start to heal. We’ll never all agree on everything all the time, but we can start to have conversations where we understand each other instead of pushing each other apart. We are urging every one of our Live Happy Happy Activists to use your social networking platforms to be shiny beacons of happiness. During the month of March (and beyond), we encourage you to share your favorite meme or quote, post an inspirational article, or give a healthcare worker a much-needed shout out. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #HappyActs to let other Happy Activists know you are out there fighting the ‘good’ fight. Perform More Acts of Kindness Every year, we use the whole month of March to bring awareness to the power of acts of kindness. Doing something nice and helpful for others not only makes the receiver happier, but it also increases giver’s happiness as well. We are not talking about grand gestures either. In fact, it’s the little things the can spread more happiness because you can do more of them for more people. On HappyActs.org, you can download and print our 31 Ideas for #HappyActs calendar for fun and easy positive acts of kindness that you can perform and share every day of the month. For example, you can send a text to a friend that you know needs a little encouragement or buy a family a delicious meal through your go-to food delivery app. Whatever you do, share it with us and the world on your social media using #LiveHappy and #HappyActs. Happiness Walls are Back! Since 2013, we have been creating Happiness Walls to celebrate the International Day of Happiness.  Since the pandemic, this activity became more difficult because of social distancing rules. Not to be deterred, instead of not hosting our famous Happiness Walls, we decided to pivot in the name of happiness. Now you can host your very own wall almost anywhere you want. Just go to HappyActs.org to download, print, hang up and fill out your digital happiness wall. This is a great opportunity to invite co-workers, community members or local school to participate in the IDOH celebration. Kindness Wins! This year, Live Happy is hosting our #HappyActs Art Contest benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. From now until March 6, 2022, kids 16 and under can show off their creativity by submitting their own personal artwork for a chance to have their design featured on an official #HappyActs Water Bottle. This year’s design theme is: What does happiness look like to you? The team at Live Happy will choose the Grand Prize design and announce the winner on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Just send your submission to happyacts@livehappy.com and be sure to follow all our social media networks to see if you are a winner. All submitted artwork must be an original design, which does not contain any copyrighted material. The design must be submitted as a scanned drawing, PNG, JPEG, Photoshop or Illustrator file. All entry emails should have the subject line “2022 HappyActs Art Contest – [child’s name]” and include the child’s full name, address, telephone number and age. The 2022 #HappyActs Water Bottle will be sold on the Live Happy online store and a portion of the proceeds will be benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Happiness for All At Live Happy, we are dedicated to promoting and sharing authentic happiness through education, integrity, gratitude and community awareness. Our mission is to impact the world by bringing the happiness movement to a personal level and inspiring people to engage in purpose-driven, healthy, meaningful lives. We can’t do it alone, so we need your help by making 2022 the kindest, happiest year ever!
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2022 Happy Acts Art Contest by Live Happy

2022 #HappyActs Art Contest

In celebration of the International Day of Happiness, Live Happy invites youth from around the world to share what happiness looks like to them. Between February 11, 2022 and March 6, 2022 Live Happy is accepting art submissions for our 8th annual #HappyActs campaign to celebrate the International Day of Happiness on March 20, 2022. Kids from around the world can show off their creativity by entering the 2022 #HappyActs Art Contest. The theme is to illustrate what happiness looks like to them. One winning design will become the official 2022 #HappyActs Water Bottle. The winners will be announced on Friday, April 1, 2022. Grand Prize – This design will be featured on the official 2022 #HappyActs Water Bottle. The designer will receive four free water bottles and have their winning design displayed on livehappy.com. 2nd Place – The designer will receive a Live Happy hoodie and have their design submission displayed on livehappy.com. 3rd Place – The designer will receive a Live Happy beanie and have their design submission displayed on livehappy.com. The 2022 #HappyActs Water Bottle will be sold on store.livehappy.com and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Rules and Requirements Theme of design: What does happiness look like to you? Must be age 16 and under to enter. Required dimensions: 4" x 2 ½" One design per entry. Design will appear on the front of the water bottle. Must be an original design, which does not contain any copyright material. Designs submitted MUST NOT INCLUDE any obscene or foul language or designs. Any entries in violation of this rule will be disqualified. The design must be submitted as a scanned drawing, PNG, JPEG, Photoshop or Illustrator file. We reserve the right to make adjustments to the winning design. All entry emails should be sent to happyacts@livehappy.com with the subject line “2022 HappyActs Art Contest – [child’s name]." Please include the child’s full name, address, telephone number and age. Entries become the property of Live Happy, LLC.
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Giving is the reason for the season #Happyacts

Giving is the Reason for the Season

Welcome, Happy Activists! A Happy Activist is someone who, through kind words and intentional positive actions, strives to make the world a better place. Live Happy invites you to join our #HappyActs movement! We encourage everyone to incorporate kindness into your daily lives by participating in each month’s planned activity. The more people who join the #HappyActs movement, the greater the positive impact we’ll all have on our homes, workplaces and communities. What you think and do matters! December's Happy Act theme is altruism. French philosopher Auguste Comte, the father of positivism, first defined the term of altruism as a social act that is the opposite of self-centeredness, even though the giver does receive personal satisfaction from giving. If you are motivated to serve the welfare of others without expecting anything in return, then you are more than likely an altruistic person. When we embrace each other with compassion and kindness, we create an opportunity to be better human beings to each other. While research into the benefits of altruism continues, many studies suggest the more generous we are, the better off we will be. December's Happy Act is to give a little extra this holiday season to someone in need. In his book Altruism: The Power of Compassion the Change Yourself and the World, Matthieu Ricard writes: “our existence is usually woven from deeds of cooperation, friendship, affection and care.” Whether it’s the ringing of the bell outside of the department store or serving warm meals for the hungry or shoveling a neighbor's sidewalk, don’t miss the call to pay a little more attention to others and make the holidays merrier for everyone. Our December Happy Activist is Carol Novello, founder of Mutual Rescue, author of Mutual Rescue: How Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too and president of Humane Society Silicon Valley in California. Carol displays her altruism by rescuing homeless animals, and in turn, placing those animals in happy homes. The result, she says, is a transforming experience for the people who adopt these animals in need. “Animals bring so much joy into our lives … part of the altruism in helping animals, is that you are really helping people too,” she says. “When you connect an animal with a person, you are enriching two lives.” For more on altruism, check out these articles: A Twist of Faith How to Be Compassionate Toward Difficult People The Giving Way to Happiness With Jenny Santi Time to up your #HappyActs game. Help us spread global happiness by becoming a Happy Activist and host your very own Happiness Wall. Learn how you can host a wall at your school, business or organization and find out how to create your own fantastic wall using one of our Happy Acts Wall Kits.
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A group of people helping each other

Kindness Counts When Sharing Happiness

Welcome, Happy Activists! A Happy Activist is someone who, through kind words and intentional positive actions, strives to make the world a better place. Live Happy invites you to join our #HappyActs movement! We encourage everyone to incorporate kindness into your daily lives by participating in each month’s planned activity. The more people who join the #HappyActs movement, the greater the positive impact we’ll all have on our homes, workplaces and communities. What you think and do matters! November’s Happy Act theme is kindness. People who practice kindness show more compassion and are more willing to help people in need. According to Character Strengths Interventions: A Field Guide for Practitioners by Ryan Niemiec, Psy.D., when we add more kindness into our lives, we help alleviate some of the negative effects of stress and anxiety. Kindness is also associated with other important character strengths, such as gratitude, leadership and love. November’s Happy Act is to make the world a kinder place through good deeds, favors and helping others. This month, think about how many ways you can do something nice for someone else, for example, raking leaves or shoveling snow for a neighbor, giving extra for holiday charity drives or just holding the door for some who has their hands full. If it helps, make a plan of action beforehand, so you’ll be prepared when a moment to practice kindness presents itself. Don’t forget to write down each time you do something kind for someone else and how it made you feel. At the end of the month, reflect on your kind acts and see if your attitude and mindset changed at all. Our November Happy Activist is Marilyn Boss, aka The Happy Lady. This Floridian retired from corporate life and now focuses on bringing happiness into the lives of others through acts of kindness and happiness workshops. “You never know whose life will change with one Happy Act of Kindness,” Marilyn says. “Happiness is a choice and we get to choose it every day.” Every year on the International Day of Happiness, Marilyn sponsors multiple Happiness Walls by sharing happiness and happy acts in classrooms, before and after school programs, summer camps, Job Corps of America and the homes of veterans. Her goal is to sponsor more than 100 walls in just three years. “I have such gratitude for how Happiness Walls have changed my life,” she says. “I learned along the way how to use the tools that I share to be truly happy and I want that for everyone.” For more on kindness, check out these articles: Happy World Kindness Day! Four Ways to Grow Kind Kids 'The Kind Mama' Builds Community Practice Random Acts of Kindness Every Day Time to up your #HappyActs game. Help us spread global happiness by becoming a Happy Activist and host your very own Happiness Wall. Learn how you can host a wall at your school, business or organization and find out how to create your own fantastic wall using one of our Happy Acts Wall Kits.
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Be positively optimistic #happyacts

Be Positively Optimistic

Welcome, Happy Activists! A Happy Activist is someone who, through kind words and intentional positive actions, strives to make the world a better place. Live Happy invites you to join our #HappyActs movement! Every month, we encourage everyone to incorporate kindness into your daily lives by participating in each month’s planned activity. The more people who join the #HappyActs movement, the greater the positive impact we’ll all have on our homes, workplaces and communities. What you think and do matters! October’s Happy Act theme is optimism. Optimistic people feel good about their future and are confident they will achieve positive outcomes. When we adapt to a positive mindset, we enjoy many mental and physical benefits, including lower stress and anxiety, stronger immune systems, better quality sleep and better coping skills. That’s not to say that we put our heads in the sand when bad things happen, but as optimists, we have the power to accept the negativity, deal with it and then move in a positive way. October’s Happy Act is optimism. People who see the glass half full also have better relationships and social interactions which can spread exponentially to other people. This behavior can create a ripple effect of happiness. Throughout your day, try making as many positive connections as you can. It can be a small gesture, such as a kind smile; or something greater, such as seeking out someone who is feeling down and out and letting them know how much you value them as a person and care about the positive outcomes of their future. Your kind gesture just might be the catalyst to turn someone’s day around. A recent study shows that our optimism can extend vicariously to other people, even strangers, when we hold positive and hopeful views about them. Our October Happy Activist is author and mental health advocate Mark Simmonds. His latest memoir Breakdown and Repair: A Father’s Tale of Stress and Success tells the story of how Mark went from suffering a mental breakdown due to stress and on the brink of suicide to championing for destigmatizing mental illness. Despite several setbacks, including helping his daughter Emily battle anorexia, Mark’s hope, resilience and optimism have kept him moving toward his goals for better mental health. After six long years, Emily has overcome the illness and is now thriving. “You are going to get confronted with lots of different situations in life,” he says. “When you come out of them, the reward and recognition you will get for showing resilience will be well worth the effort.” For more on optimism, check out these articles: The New Definition of Happiness Cultural Change and Moral Power A Positive Approach to Problems Time to up your #HappyActs game. Help us spread global happiness by becoming a Happy Activist and host your very own Happiness Wall. Learn how you can host a wall at your school, business or organization and find out how to create your own fantastic wall using one of our Happy Acts Wall Kits.
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A group of people working together to complete a goal

Resilience Clears the Path to a Meaningful Life.

Welcome, Happy Activists! A Happy Activist is someone who, through kind words and intentional positive actions, strives to make the world a better place. Live Happy invites you to join our #HappyActs movement! On the 20th of each month, we encourage everyone to incorporate kindness into your daily lives by participating in each month’s planned activity. The more people who join the #HappyActs movement, the greater the positive impact we’ll all have on our homes, workplaces and communities. What you think and do matters! September’s Happy Act theme is resilience. The ability to persevere and reach your goals no matter what obstacles stand in your way is attributed to your resilience. Like many strengths, resilience builds like a muscle for the times when you need it the most. People who are resilient tend to find more positive outcomes in life, see hope in dire situations, view adversities as challenges to overcome and are more likely to help others achieve their goals. September’s Happy Act is to strengthen your resilience by being supportive. If you are a resilient person, then odds are that you have overcome adversity in your life and have developed the coping skills to get you through those hard times. According Dr. Morley Glicken’s book Learning From Resilient People, using your skills to help other people through their time of need not only eases their stress, but strengthens your social bonds with the people you are helping. This adds meaning to your life and increases your happiness. Think about someone in your life that can use your support and write out an action plan with steps on how to accomplish that goal. Leave some room to write down how you feel after completing this task. Our September Happy Activist is champion boxer and mental health advocate Mia St. John. Mia has endured serious tragedies in her life. In 2014, her son Julian, a long-time sufferer of mental illness, fell victim to suicide. Earlier this year, her ex-husband and father to Julian, Kristoff St. John passed away. Soon after, she lost 30 years of sobriety. “There was a point where I thought that I would not recover and I was at my lowest low,” she explains. “There was nowhere to go, I felt, but up. That's my personality.” She says when she finds herself having to make the choice of hope over despair, she has no choice but to keep up the good fight. “I never stop fighting my way through the storm.” Now, Mia is making it her mission to help parents, educators, friends and spouses identify the signs of mental illness so loved ones can get the help they need. She created the Mia St. John Foundation to help empower people suffering from mental illness, addiction, poverty and homelessness. Because of her advocacy and dedication, she is giving people an opportunity to overcome adversity and restore self-worth. “All of us have suffered in our lives," Mia says. "Change comes always and nothing stays the same—not the good or the bad. By overcoming our obstacles, we evolve as humans.” For more information on resilience, check out the links below: When Resilience Meets Agility The Bounce-Back Effect Building Resilience and Well-Being With Karen Reivich 5 Essential Factors for Raising Resilient Kids Time to up your #HappyActs game. Help us spread global happiness by becoming a Happy Activist and host your very own Happiness Wall. Learn how you can host a wall at your school, business or organization and find out how to create your own fantastic wall using one of our Happy Acts Wall Kits.
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An educator teaching a class

Changing the Future With Positive Education

Welcome, Happy Activists! A Happy Activist is someone who, through kind words and intentional positive actions, strives to make the world a better place. Live Happy invites you to join our #HappyActs movement! On the 20th of each month, we encourage everyone to incorporate kindness into your daily lives by participating in each month’s planned activity. The more people who join the #HappyActs movement, the greater the positive impact we’ll all have on our homes, workplaces and communities. What you think and do matters! August’s Happy Act theme is positive education. Psychologist and founding member of positive psychology Martin Seligman, Ph.D., defines positive education as “the intersection of traditional education with the building of well-being.” The goal of positive education is help young people find and develop their character strengths so they can thrive in life. Research shows that students who participated in programs that taught both academic and social and emotional health, had a 10% improvement in grades and well-being as well as a buffer against anger, anxiety and depression. August’s Happy Act is to lead by example by developing your own character strengths while teaching young people about the character strengths they need to flourish, such as kindness, forgiveness, leadership and perseverance. By providing tools to improving social and emotional health, they have the ability to improve their well-being and live a happier life. Psychologist and bestselling author Lea Waters, Ph.D. spoke at the 2018 Festival of Positive Education in Fort Worth, Texas and said, “parenting is a really important piece of the positive education puzzle.” Check out the VIA Institute on Character to find out more about character strengths and how you can apply them to your life as well as those around you. Our August Happy Activist is elementary school teacher Lucie Buissereth-Lindner in Stockholm, Sweden. She says she tries to make the world a happier place by making small impactful changes in her students’ lives every day. “Teaching kids the importance of a relentless work ethic, authenticity and self-belief is the way I give back in hopes to create an army of leaders and a legacy of excellence!” she says. Lucie and her students are working toward competing in the World Inter-School Rope Skipping Championship 2019 in Belgium. “Not only will they test their strengths, and power, but also build self-confidence, make new friends, and broaden their horizons!” Their team is called 'The HusbyGårds Hopprep Starzzz ' which translates to “Super Enthusiastic, Hard-working, Talented Girls and Boys of Sweden!” For more information on positive education, check out the links below: Character and Well-Being 4 Ideas Shaping the Future of Education The Importance of Positive Education The Power of Character Strengths With Ryan Niemiec Time to up your #HappyActs game. Help us spread global happiness by becoming a Happy Activist and host your very own Happiness Wall. Learn how you can host a wall at your school, business or organization and find out how to create your own fantastic wall using one of our Happy Acts Wall Kits.
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Build Happy Communities Through Acts of Kindness

Welcome, Happy Activists! A Happy Activist is someone who, through kind words and intentional positive actions, strives to make the world a better place. Live Happy invites you to join our #HappyActs movement! On the 20th of each month, we encourage everyone to incorporate kindness into your daily lives by participating in each month’s planned activity. The more people who join the #HappyActs movement, the greater the positive impact we’ll all have on our homes, workplaces and communities. What you think and do matters! July’s Happy Act theme is community. Research shows that strong, engaging communities are safer, healthier and happier. Making positive connections with our neighbors makes us feel like we are part of something bigger than ourselves and we are less likely to live in isolation, which can have adverse effects on our mental and physical well-being. July’s Happy Act is to do something positive to make a difference in your community. Amy Blankson, author and Live Happy contributor, writes in her article, “Start a Ripple of Kindness in Your Community,” that “you do not have to have a lot of time or money or status or even connections—you just have to have a willingness to make someone’s day just a bit brighter and the follow-through to accomplish it.” Even small gestures can add up in a big way, such as volunteering for your local Habitat for Humanity or take the time to welcome a new neighbor to the neighborhood. These good deeds not only make the people we help happy, but we get happiness from helping others, too. Community helps makes you feel balanced. It makes you feel a connection with everyone." — Mariel Hemingway Our July Happy Activist is Jaxson Turner, an 11-year-old from Plano, Texas. This youngster is already wise beyond his years and understands that a thriving community means helping those in need. For his 11th birthday, Jaxson has raised more than $12,000 through GoFundMe to help give the homeless an Easter dinner. In 2018, in lieu of Christmas gifts, he asked people to donate to a local homeless shelter so the children can enjoy the holidays. He clearly has gone above and beyond to help others. “It brings me happiness to help others in need and touch their heart for a lifetime and hopefully make them smile for a day,” Jaxson says. According to Jaxson, it is very important to care about those in need, because you never know when we will need a helping hand in life. He says helping others “makes the community happy and it helps the less fortunate feel like the community cares about them.” Jaxson's latest endeavor involves selling lemonade to raise funds for back-to-school necessities, including haircuts, school supplies and backpacks. Way to go, Jaxson! To find out more about Jaxson and his charitable actions, check out his Facebook page. For more information on how to give back to your community, read the articles listed below. 10 Ways to Build Community 31 Days of Community Community Gardens Grow Happiness Revitalizing Community for Renewed Happiness Time to up your #HappyActs game. Help us spread global happiness by becoming a Happy Activist and host your very own Happiness Wall. Learn how you can host a wall at your school, business or organization and find out how to create your own fantastic wall using one of our Happy Acts Wall Kits.
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