This initiative is all about the one thing that every person is after: happiness.
College is a stressful and overwhelming point in our lives, but it is also an experience of a lifetime. It would be a waste to spend your four (or more) years here consumed by anxiety and sadness. Her Campus Miami OH wants to lighten your mood and help all collegiettes and students on campus recognize how amazing they are by asking them to define their own personal definitions of happiness.
This idea of a “Happiness Project” came to me one night early in the semester. It was a Sunday evening, and my friends and I were sitting around the common room, and everyone was in a blue mood. Some were stressed already from the amount of work for the week ahead; I had recently broke things off with someone; and others had their own reasons contributing to their unhappiness.
I remember thinking to myself, “This is not what college is all about.” I hated seeing my friends that way, and I hated feeling miserable myself. When I went to bed that night, I knew I wanted to do something about it–I wanted to promote happiness among the people around me, and I was going to start by looking inside myself.
I did a bit of research about depression on college campuses, and found some disturbing statistics. With the number of suicide-related deaths at Miami this year, I saw this as an issue close to home for all students. Whenever I was around other people, I tried to make them feel better and have some fun; and in turn, I found myself and my friends happier. So then I thought, how great would it be to spread good vibes and raise positive self-awaress across campus?
I’ve come to find that happiness is not a gift; it’s more of a choice. You cannot buy lasting happiness, and you can’t just chase it. To me, happiness is loving who you are, staying positive, and looking forward to your life. And most importantly, happiness is contagious.
We hope you’ll join Miami’s chapter of Her Campus by promoting happiness and self-love by taking a picture with us and by sharing with us your own personal deinifition of happiness.
Inspired by the moving online blog, Humans Of New York, Her Campus will be taking pictures of students and asking them what it is they love about themselves, what they’re proud of, and what makes them happy. Then, we will display these wonderful phots and little anecdotes around campus for the rest of the student body to see. Our goal is that these images and quotes will help spread happy vibes to everyone around campus and we hope each and every student takes away something positive from our ‘Humans of Miami’ intiative!
Stay happy, my friends and never stop loving and honoring yourself. #LYHY.