Starting in 2014 Live Happy is launching A Year of Happiness. Every month will have a special theme that's integral to happiness. January's theme is hope. February's is love. Our hope is that our themed thoughts, quotes, quips, readings and fun things to do will inspire your year to be happy, healthy and meaningful. Enjoy!
1. "Once you choose hope, anything's possible. –Christopher Reeve
2. Read Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein.
3. Butterflies symbolize hope in some Native American cultures.
4. Listen and watch "We're Going to Be Friends," by Caroline Pennell (from "The Voice").
5. Watch Hope, directed by Goldie Hawn.
6. "People who throw kisses are hopelessly lazy." –Bob Hope
7. Read I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, by Malala Yousafzai.
8. "God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us–in the dreariest and most dreaded moments–can see a possibility of hope." –Maya Angelou
9. Volunteer
10. Listen and watch "New" by Paul McCartney.
11. Hope as a girl's name is growing in popularity in the United States.
12. Listen and watch "Gone, Gone, Gone," by Phillip Phillips.
13. "Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world?" –Abraham Lincoln
14. Listen and watch "Better Day," by Eddie Vedder.
15. Write "Hope" in the snow or sand.
16. Watch Fast & Furious 6.
17. "If you are looking for a solid return on your money, invest in hope." —Shane Lopez
18. Read Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed.
19. Listen and watch “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo’ole.
20. Watch Finding Nemo.
21. The golden daffodil, the iris, the cardinal and the dove all symbolize hope.
22. Read Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys?, by Billy Crystal.
23. Watch World War Z.
24. Listen and watch “Traces of You,” by Anousha Shankar, featuring Norah Jones.
25. Read Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us All, by Harvey McKinnon.
26. Write “Hope” on your dog’s bandana and take him/her for a walk.
27. Listen and watch “Ordinary Love” by U2.
28. Watch As Good as It Gets.
29. Listen and watch “Clouds,” written by Zach Sobiech.
30. “The more hope we cultivate today, the better equipped we’ll be to survive and thrive in the months and years ahead.”—Barbara Fredrickson
31. Watch Argo.
*Special thanks to producer Lindsay Doran for choosing our film titles.
