The Happiness Journal

What makes you happy? If you get in Chicago Lyft driver Dwan's car, be prepared to answer.

A few months ago, Dwan began driving with Lyft full-time while he saved up to open a new business. “When I started driving, I noticed some passengers seemed to be having a bad day or were just not in the greatest mood,” he says. Dwan wanted to change that, so he bought a blank notebook and left it in the back seat with simple instructions: write down what makes you happy. “I wanted to give passengers something positive to start or end their day with,” he says. The notebook quickly caught on, and he's had it in his car ever since.

Passengers don't have to contribute to the book if they don't want to, but to Dwan's surprise, nearly everyone does. “Most people love it. Passengers have thanked me for having it, think it's a great idea, and have even encouraged me to publish it.”

Here are a few of Dwan's favorite entries from passengers:

"Happiness is cheese, my dog, and my boyfriend, and not in that particular order!"

"Making my girlfriend happy, and the Blackhawks winning."

“Happiness is not worrying about the future,
Happiness is not thinking about the past,
Happiness is the realization that
This is your moment
This is your time
This is your life
Live it”

For Dwan, the happiness journal is more than a 99 cent notebook - it's a symbol of why he drives with Lyft in the first place. “My rides are about sharing happy moments with individuals,” he says.