The Happiness Booth succeeds

I'm ending my 9 weeks of self-exploration with an attempt to pass along what I've learned, in an experiential way. I originally thought I'd end with some sort of grandiose motivational talk, but this didn't feel true to my discoveries. Instead, I wanted to reinforce in others the tiny but crucial actions and mindsets that have helped me "build my emotional platform."

My final project was held at my graduation party at my house, so my guests didn't actually know what they were participating in. 

I gave everyone a prompt on an index card, to help them start a conversation with someone else at the party. I asked things like "What made you laugh this week?" Or "What memory from your childhood do you most want to pass on to the next generation?" Or "What do you love about your community?" Guests were instructed to find a partner, discuss their questions, then switch cards and partners. Repeat. 

I also added a special "action" card, which encouraged participants set a goal for a week (similar to my weekly experiments), and post them on the wall. The hope was that public commitment would encourage follow-through. I only got a few goals this way: 

The Happiness Booth was the final element. I sectioned off a corner of my foyer with 2 sarongs and a lamp: 

Inside was a bowl full of questions, and a box to submit your answer in. The questions were: 

• What will you do tonight to be happier?
  
• What will you do tonight to make someone else happier?
• What will you do next week to be happier?
• What will you do next week to make someone else happier?

The responses were heartwarming -- everything from "visit a friend who had a rough week for dinner tonight" to "stargaze, shoegaze," to "bake muffins." Plus a couple R-rated ones I won't reproduce here! 

I have no idea whether these people will actually follow through on these commitments. (That would be something I'd try for the next time -- how to actually track results. Speaking of which, if you did make a commitment, please let me know what happened!) 

But I did get some reassuring feedback. Two friends said they felt happier just because they went into the Happiness Booth, and I heard others say they appreciated the ice breakers and talking about happy subjects. If that's all I get out of this, that's perfectly fine by me!

Now that I've done the formal part of the endeavour, now what? I leave for my travels next week, so maybe I'll morph this into a travelogue. I'd definitely like to keep this and all the other tools I've developed over the past couple months, since I know I'll need them again. 

I bumped into a classmate from last year the other day, who talked about how she's now the happiest she's ever been. She looked to a friend who always seemed to be happy, and aimed to be just like her. That's great motivation for me too -- to keep in mind a guiding light for me to aspire to. And if I can ever be that to someone else, all the better.  

This friend reminded me that it's also perfectly fine to fall out of happiness every once in awhile, so I shouldn't worry about the ups and downs. At least now I have the tools to get back into a good emotional state quickly. 

Thanks so much for those who've followed my journey! I hope to keep this up even if slightly less formally. 

I hope you find your guiding light (wow, I sound so corny now!),

Emma