6 Resources Towards a Happier You

Written by Dana Oshiro / September 28, 2009 3:00 PM / 6 Comments

This post is part of our ReadWriteStart channel, which is dedicated to profiling startups and entrepreneurs. The channel is sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark. To sign up for BizSpark, click here.

If you've got a case of the Mondays you are not alone. Thousands of weekend warriors have nestled into their cubicles and desks only to be greeted by a two day backlog of spam, invoices and tedious emails. It's easy to focus on all the negative things that make it tough to get out of bed in the morning. But complaining aloud is not going to make you feel better and it's not going to get you a lunch date with your cute coworker. To pull you out of your Monday doldrums, below are a few services to help you share your feelings with your fellow netizens.

1. ThankfulFor: A product of Shiny Heart Ventures, Thankfulfor was created by popular lifecaster Frank Gruber and talented photographer Jen Consalvo. The two recently launched this microblogging tool to help friends count their blessings. Thankfulfor asks users to document what they're thankful for in 140 characters and the messages can either be kept in the community or pushed out to Twitter and Facebook. Think of it as a Thanksgiving event without the hangover or football.

2. Gratitude Journal iPhone App: This product offers users a chance to list the 5 things they are grateful for on a daily basis. More often than not, users list the people they love. From here they rate their day and add a photo. This app provides great insight into the everyday goodness that fills our lives, or if you're kind of a downer, it keeps a running log of your complaints. Either way, it will change how you view your life.

3. Moonrise: Like Twitter, Moonrise is a microblogging site where users add information in short 140 character snippets. Instead of asking for your current activity, Moonrise asks the question, "How are you feeling?" Users type in their 140 character response and add photos, videos and quotes.

4. Thanks-o-meter: This is a public site where users thank others for being considerate and making their lives easier. Stories can be kept private or shared publicly and statistical information on different types of joy are displayed in pie charts and bar graphs. Recently a colleague at a conference was honest enough to alert me to having something hanging out of my nose. If he hadn't done that I'd have been tagged as "booger girl" across numerous networks. Thank you.

5. Group Hug.us: This site offers users a chance to confess their deepest darkest secrets in complete anonymity. Often the site fills up with unrequited love notes. If you've got something to confess, this site offers cathartic release.

6. FML and My Life is Average : Both of these sites are for those who have a knack for making their life stories sound funny. FML offers users a chance to commit short snippets of often mortifying events anonymously. Meanwhile, My Life is Average allows users to catalogue their most mundane moments.

Photo Credit: Abba Mouse

Microsoft BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. Click here to apply.

Comments

Subscribe to comments for this post OR Subscribe to comments for all ReadWriteStart posts

Great resources for people to share their gratitude. I have one to add to your list.
we started an online community gratitude journal. you can add your daily gratitude. http://www.onlinecommunitygratitudejournal.com

Posted by: Julia | September 28, 2009 4:04 PM

This is great. I am a fan of ThankfulFor!

Posted by: Andrew Mager | September 28, 2009 4:09 PM

Great article! Another way to be happy is to work as an employee at home for a well known corporation. I have been doing it successfully for more than 10 years now. It was the best thing that I ever did. I hope this helps some of you find success at home.

Posted by: externe festplatten | September 28, 2009 11:38 PM

I wouldn't say FML helps to create a happier you. For me its just depressing but there is another site very similar called LML, http://www.lmylife.com/ that's complete opposite.

Posted by: Jesse Michelsen | September 29, 2009 1:31 PM

Social networking sites akin to Facebook have been a part of everyday life of all. It has been also an aid to everyone in terms of business advertising, promotions, social networking and personal promotion as well. Pehaps, now an issue about Jamie Czerniawski, one of the Wife Swap star, stabbed her husband, Charles Czerniawski four times. He recovered in the hospital, and now both people have restraining orders out on each other, and they're getting divorced. Jamie hade been rumored to be having an affair with a firefighter after the rounds of their steamy Facebook messages before her husband filed divorce with her. She also is known to be a Toby Keith fan and NASCAR enthusiast, completing the hat trick. She also has cheated on him – so now she has stabbed him in the front as well as the back. Apparently, Jamie Czerniawski has also had her bank accounts frozen by Charles – which she deserves – and now she's complaining that she needs payday loans.

Posted by: Corinne O. | September 30, 2009 3:39 AM