If you look up the word “inhyperhappinated” in the dictionary you will not find a definition. If you google it, you will find no results. How could a word that doesn’t seem to exist be so powerful?
I coach Girls on the Run (GotR), an organization that builds self-esteem through running. My girls radiate the confidence that I possessed at their age; a confidence that is reflected in three photos in my home’s entryway. Two are of my older siblings looking serene and angelic. The third features my eight-year-old self, wearing a two-toned blue floral shirt complimented by a green fuzzy scarf and brightly colored pink earrings. That day, I was absolutely certain of my perfect fashion sense (even if I did l look like a frantic toddler). And there…show more content… Seeing those words on paper was emotionally freeing. Through daily writing, I reclaimed unapologetic Jenna. I realized that the awkward, stubborn, sassy, and fun-loving parts of me that I tried so hard to hide are my core. I didn’t know what to call it at the time, but this was when I started to become…show more content… We were learning about positive self-talk and if we heard someone say something negative about themselves the girls would yell “Rescue others from Negative Norman! Destroy the bubble! Be inhyperhappinated!” The head coach explained to me the word means to be infused with the feeling of happiness, and I felt an instant connection to the string of letters. I am inhyperhappinated when I am helping little girls grow both physically and mentally. I am inhyperhappinated with my friends laughing and playing Buzzfeed quizzes. I am inhyperhappinated when I am watching New Girl and during class debates.
I am inhyperhappinated when I walk into my small mountain town high school in my four-inch heels (even though any smart person would wear weather suitable shoes). I don’t wear heels every day, but I do when I start losing myself. On these days my head goes higher as power and sass flow through me. I feel strong. I am inhyperhappinated when I am my own true
