five a day...

It's said that eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what about writing down five things that make you happy daily?

Enter ButterBeeHappy.com, a site launched in March 2008 by John Pounders (student at The University of Alabama - and an ad major at that!) dedicated to promoting happiness through learning the fine art of gratitude. Users register for free and are encouraged to log daily entries with five things they're happy about or grateful for. The lists can be set to private or public.

Think of it as a much easier blog with far greater reward.

According to the site, research conducted by Harvard, UC Davis and Miami University has shown that jotting down just five thoughts of gratitude each day can make you a happier person:

Positive emotions and psychology help people thrive. In life there are many factors that can get people down, such as the economy. However, psychological research shows that economic factors are a poor predictor of overall happiness. Can you guess what is a good predictor of happiness? That's right, gratitude. When you jot down your five happy thoughts each day you are really practicing being grateful, and are thus appreciating your life to its full extent.

Admittedly the site design is less than stellar, but Pounders is open to improvements. It's the idea behind it that's so powerful.

little miss opinion's list for today? In no particular order:
1. Chocolate croissants...or warm biscuits, it's a tie, really
2. Laughing 'til I cried
3. Cashmere
4. Organic produce
5. Unconditional love

"The test of all happiness is gratitude."
-G.K. Chesterton, 1908