Tag Archives: #100HappyDays

Solving Problems and Celebrating People #100HappyDays

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Day 32:  Solving people’s problems makes me happy.  This was my last day of customer class this week, and I love seeing how our software will solve the problems people have at their organizations.  I spoke with a woman who was very excited about the provider suspension workflow she saw in class–apparently it would make her job much easier–and her excitement made me excited.  I know I didn’t develop the software, but being able to share it with customers and see their delight makes me happy.

Day 33:  Finalizing decisions makes me happy.  This day was a rough one.  I had a headache that just wouldn’t go away, a rough morning class, and a million things on my mind.  However, something did make me happy–I signed papers to purchase a new car!  I love my current car–I’ve had her since I graduated college–but she is not the best car for Wisconsin winters.   I’d been stressed about my car situation all winter, so finally making a decision on which car to get and getting everything signed was my happy point of the day.

Day 34:  #HomeownerProblems make me happy.  I know it’s odd to be happy because of a problem, but that’s the case for this day.  🙂  This summer I finally decided to do my lawn maintenance myself, only to find that my lawn mower wouldn’t start.  I was initially very frustrated by this–once I made up my mind to mow the lawn myself I just wanted to get it done–but the situation taught me a lot.  I learned how to change a spark plug and that a clogged carburetor can cause small engines to refuse to start (#TheMoreYouKnow).  I got an exercise in patience and realized that I have a great support network.  And now I’m extra motivated to mow the lawn myself sometime soon.

Day 35:  Boyfriends and moms make me happy.  This day was twice as special as most days–it was my boyfriend’s 31st birthday *and* Mother’s Day!  My mom is the most spectacular human being–she is my role model in life and I love her more than anything.  My boyfriend is such a great man; he’s kind and patient and funny and actually lets me be myself.  Honoring both of them on the same day was so powerful and I’m so blessed to have both of them in my life.

Day 36:  Travel agents make me happy.  I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to plan my sabbatical, but thanks to the advice of my officemate I now have a travel agent to help me!  Originally I thought that a travel agent would be too expensive, but her rate is very affordable and she’s got decades of experience too.  Planning this trip has been stressing me OUT and the thought of someone doing the heavy lifting for me makes me so very happy!

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Clean Sheets for Sweet Dreams #100HappyDays

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Day 31: Fresh clean sheets make me happy. 

Making the bed is one of my least favorite chores–always has been. But there is nothing quite like climbing into a bed with freshly laundered sheets on it. Hopefully I will sleep easier and have sweeter dreams. 

Bonus: I made breakfast for dinner tonight and it turned out really well! It was a late dinner that I honestly didn’t feel like cooking (I had just gotten in from the gym) but it tasted great. Scrambled eggs with salsa, kale, and vegetarian sausage links–all I was missing were some hot biscuits! 

Making Bands and Moving Forward #100HappyDays

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Day 26:  The fact that this is Day 26 makes me happy.  Y’all remember Making the Band, right?!?  Well if not, here’s a fun reminder for you:

Day 27:  Getting rid of stuff from my past makes me happy.  I finally sold the engagement ring my ex-fiance gave me!  In case you’re unaware, my engagement was not a great one as my ex-fiance was abusive.  I initially held on to the engagement ring as part of legal proceedings with my ex, but those proceedings have been finalized now so I decided to get rid of the ring.  And it feels so good to have one less thing that reminds me of that terrible relationship.

Day 28:  Dinner with my boyfriend makes me happy.  My boyfriend is the best, y’all.  I feel like he really gets me, like we’re on the same brainwaves.  He’s also vegan, so I’ve been expanding my culinary horizons since we’ve been dating.  We made these delicious vegan burgers, and they tasted even better because I was enjoying his company as well.  🙂

Day 29:  A good cardio session makes me happy.  I did an hour of cardio instead of my usual 30 minutes (before my personal training session) and I felt GOOD.  I really worked up a sweat–I practically had to drag myself back to my car I was so tired–but it was totally worth it to ensure I stay fit and healthy.

Day 30:  Writing this blog makes me happy.  Since I started doing #100HappyDays, I’ve updated my blog more frequently than ever.  This makes me extremely happy!  I love getting new followers and finding new awesome blogs to follow as a result.  I love having a forum to say what I’m thinking and share it publicly.  I also love that I can write private posts that no one will ever see just to get things off my chest.

Bonus:  Lots of links make me happy!  I love linking to other websites from my blog.  And this post has three links and an imbedded video, so I am a very happy camper.  🙂

Life and Blackness #100HappyDays

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Day 24: Being alive makes me happy.

Yesterday was a tough day for me.  I was feeling very overwhelmed by some legal issues I’m going through with my ex-fiance.  But even with all the stress and struggle, I was happy to have woken up and drawn breath.  As the great philosopher Pitbull once surmised, “Every day above ground is a great day.”

Day 25:  Black medical professionals make me happy.  

This week is the second week of my company’s customer conference, and I’ve been helping out by participating in a simulation lab.  Last week I was a “radio show host”, and this week I am a “sick patient” and medical professionals come in and conduct an “office visit” with me (so we can analyze how people use our software).  Today, I had a Black nurse practitioner participate and I was so happy to see her!  She was so kind and really worked to take care of me and make me feel better, even though it was just a simulation.  I have never in my entire life had a Black doctor–much less a Black woman doctor.  I would love to receive care from a medical professional who understands my unique issues as a Black woman.  We need more Black medical professionals!

Being Happy #100HappyDays

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Day 18: Being happy makes me happy. 

I know you’re like, “What kind of Inception shit is that?” 🙂 Further explanation is required, so awwwwwwwww here it goes:

Today I was working at the tech helpdesk for our customer conference. I spoke with quite a few coworkers, and two of them gave me the same compliment: “Every time I see you, you are so happy and energetic. I’ve never seen you have a bad day.” 

That definitely put a smile on my face because I have plenty of bad days. I’ve got a number of issues I’m battling right now, but I always try to treat people how I want to be treated. I always attempt to put positivity into the world because I believe you get what you give. Sometimes it’s hard to be upbeat, but I try. And I appreciate that people see the effort. 

Weekends, Faux Burgers, Reunions, and Chipmunks #100HappyDays

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Day 13:  Saturdays make me happy.  Long story short, I love the weekend!  I enjoy my job (see my last post for reasons why) but there is nothing like sitting around the house doing absolutely nothing.

Day 14:  Grilling out makes me happy.  My boyfriend and I made Portobello burgers for dinner and they were SO.  GOOD!  I’ve often missed meat since becoming a vegetarian last August, but these burgers made me forget all about it!  Ground chuck who???  All I need are these mushrooms, honey!  🙂

Day 15:  Reuniting with colleagues makes me happy.  I ran into one of my old analysts during our customer conference and it was so exciting to see her!  Her organization was the last one I worked with before I switched to my current role, so I wasn’t able to see them get all the way through the install.  I loved getting updates on how things went, the other analysts, and overall just getting to see her again.

Day 16:  Small fuzzy animals make me happy.  I saw a chipmunk when I was walking to lunch at work.  I would have snapped a picture but the little thing scampered away before I could get my phone out.  Guess he was heading to lunch too!

“Do good. Have fun. Work hard. Make money.” #100HappyDays

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Day 12: Fun opportunities at work make me happy. 

The title of this post is one of my company’s slogans: “Do good. Have fun. Work hard. Make money.” I do good every day, teaching people how to use the life-saving software my company provides. I definitely work hard, and make money by doing it. And next week, I get to have fun…by hosting a “radio show” as part of our spring customer conference. 

When I say “radio show” I mean “welcome session with logistics about the event presented in the format of a morning radio show.” But we’ve worked really hard on making it seem like a real radio program–we have commercials recorded and everything! Guess that BA in broadcasting I got is finally getting some use–and I don’t even have to wear a Beaver costume like I did for my college internship at the local country station. 🙂

I saw these “promo posters” for the show and they are so cool! I work at the most awesome place ever! 

Health Informations in the Mornings!

Safe Travels, Staff Meetings, Dinners, and Open Doors #100HappyDays

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Four days of happiness comin’ atcha in three…two…ONE:

Day 7:  Safe travels make me happy.  My parents headed back to Kentucky on this day, so it was bittersweet for me.  I was sad to see them go, but happy when I got the text from my mom telling me they made it back safely.  I always worry about them when they travel–too many crazy drivers out there for my comfort–so getting the confirmation that their travels were safe put a big smile on my face.

Day 8:  Staff Meeting (oddly enough) makes me happy.  Most folks wouldn’t say they enjoy attending a staff meeting at work, especially when that meeting is over two hours long.  But I enjoy attending the monthly staff meeting at my company.  I like learning what’s new with the company and the software and hearing our CEO speak about topics related to the business we do.  I also appreciate the monthly grammar tip–who doesn’t want to improve their grammar?  🙂

Day 9:  Making dinner with my boyfriend makes me happy.  I’ve always been able to throw a recipe together, but wasn’t really someone who enjoyed cooking.  That changed after I started cooking with my boyfriend.  We make dinners together a few nights a week and it is always more fun cooking with him than when I cook solo.  Whether we’re trying something completely new or making an old favorite, we always have a good time.  (And the food usually turns out pretty great too!  Check out my Instagram for photos of some of the meals we’ve made.)

Day 10:  Being appreciated makes me happy.  After pinch-hitting for a coworker who was out with a sick kiddo this week, my team lead (TL) told me I was “the reason why we keep the doors open for HIM training.”  Apparently this isn’t the only time someone has said that–she said she stole the phrase from another TL who supervised me while my TL was out on maternity leave!  In a company of 9,000+ people, it’s easy to fly under the radar.  I love helping others and I don’t need to be recognized for it, but knowing that someone notices and appreciates the ways I help out makes me very happy indeed.

Gladiators and Good Reviews #100HappyDays

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Happiness abounds! 

Day 4: Scandal makes me happy. Are y’all surprised I am obsessed with Scandal? If so, you shouldn’t be. Fierce Black woman solving problems and saving lives while rocking designer clothes and carrying exquisite handbags? That’s got me written all over it. Yesterday was the show’s 100th episode and to celebrate, they did a “what if” storyline outlining what might have happened if important events turned out differently. I’ve been watching Scandal avidly since the first season–I am an old school “gladiator”–so I enjoyed seeing old characters and situations revisited. 

Day 5: Customer evals make me happy. These evaluations (evals) I’m referring to are submitted by customers at the end of each class. They rate the overall course, training materials, and me (the trainer). This morning my team lead called me first thing and asked if I had read my evals from Thursday’s class. I immediately got anxious that something was wrong, but they were some of the best ranks I’ve ever gotten! I appreciated the positive comments my trainees left and also the fact that my team lead noticed and called to congratulate me. 

Bonus: Today when I got home from work, I was able to sit down and eat dinner with my parents. I am so happy they came up to spend Easter weekend with me!

Work and the Weather(man) #100HappyDays

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You’re probably thinking, “Nice job, sis.  You just started #100HappyDays and you’re already a day behind.”

To that I say–you’re right; I am late.  But the reason I’m late is the reason I was happy yesterday, so check your lipstick before you come for me.  🙂

Day 2:  Educating people makes me happy.  Yesterday, I had the pleasure of teaching a class of directors, managers, and supervisors.  Twelve intelligent, curious women learned how to support their staff and received the details they needed to make informed decisions about how their departments will work.  They asked great questions and really seemed eager to succeed, and I was so happy to see that.  I was proud to know that I helped them feel confident in their roles and this new software system they would be using.  This class took most of the day, and after it ended I got so busy with other work responsibilities and spending time with my awesome boyfriend that I missed posting about it.  But, even a day late, it still brings a smile to my face.

Pretty good stuff, huh?  Bet you feel bad about clowning me for being a day behind.  It’s okay; I forgive you.  🙂  And to show you there are no hard feelings, I’ll share today’s happy thing with you.

Day 3:  WKOW makes me happy.  I know this sounds weird, but the local ABC station in Madison helps me start my morning with a smile.  The Wake Up Wisconsin morning show has the best anchors; I love the camaraderie between them (the weatherman is pretty good too).  I appreciate the local news segments they do, and I love that they feature an animal from the Dane County Humane Society each week to help find it a forever home.  Also, today’s trivia question was about a Beyoncé song, which made me very happy indeed.