Brighten Your Day

Woman Shares 3,000 Posts Of Daily Happiness

January 23, 2020

Over eight years ago, a teenager began writing down what brings her joy every day and now runs a nonprofit organization dedicated to happiness.

 

 

 

 

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Excited to be back at @ryla.7280 for my fourth year as a counselor. Also, looking forward to speaking to the students here about The Smile Project on Tuesday. #HappinessIs #TheSmileProject #RYLA7280 #RYLA #Rotary #RotaryYouthLeadershipAward #BeTheGood #SparkKindness

A post shared by The Smile Project (@thesmileprojectofficial) on Jun 9, 2019 at 6:18pm PDT

Elizabeth Buechele was 17-years-old when she posted the following Facebook status: "Day 1: Happiness is.. those perfect car rides where the radio just plays all the right songs."

On Jan. 25, she will post her 3,000th moment of joy on her nonprofit's social media pages.

"It's really remarkable to see how much the daily practice of recognizing happiness changed my life. It seems like such a simple thing, but it has drastically impacted every part of who I am," Buechele says.

Buechele turned this movement for joy into a 501c3 nonprofit called The Smile Project. The organization recently launched an online platform where people can read every day of Happiness by searching a specific date (like a birthday or anniversary), a specific day number, or keywords.

Buechele has also used The Smile Project to focus on empowering other young people to make a difference and connect with their community through SPARK (Strengthening Positivity and Reinforcing Kindness) clubs in educational institutions.

 

 

 

 

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Meet the awesome kids and their advisor who run the @northgatemiddleschool SPARK club. SPARK stands for “Strengthening Positivity and Reinforcing Kindness” and these groups are designed to get young people involved in service in really meaningful (and manageable) ways. It's not about giving a million dollars to charity. It's about a smile. It's about what you can do TODAY. Check out their “To-Do” list on the second picture and add your ways you can make a difference this week. #thesmileproject #startaspark #spreadthesmile #northgate #pittsburghpa #kindnessclub

A post shared by The Smile Project (@thesmileprojectofficial) on Oct 27, 2018 at 5:44am PDT

Recently, these SPARK Clubs could be seen hosting free glow yoga classes for college students, providing free snacks during finals week, decorating the high school hallways for the holidays, and raising money for local charities.

"To me, SPARK and The Smile Project have given me the gift of looking at life from a new perspective. Discovering the little bits of Happiness in each day has given me a more positive outlook and has encouraged me to be a bright spot in the lives of others as well," says Tiffany Eaton, former social media chair of the Seneca Valley High School SPARK Club in Harmony, PA.

You can learn more about Buechele and The Smile Project by visiting their website or following The Smile Project on Facebook or Instagram.