Reading: The Happiness Project or Why I spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. By Gretchen Rubin

I realize I'm fortunate, and there are many things in my life to be thankful.  But with all of my thankfulness something I have struggled with is the word HAPPY.  I remember saying to someone over a beer once (classy, I know) - what does that word even mean.  How do you know when you are happy?  All I know is when I'm not ...sad, mad or anything that isn't happy.  And that is pretty much the extent of my deep thoughts on happiness.

So when I was looking for some new reading I stumbled upon this book (cause I liked the cover) and decided it was worthy of a read.  And it was!  A new perspective on creating your own happiness by changing small things in your life.

The author, Gretchen Rubin set out in January with new resolutions that compounded each month.  So for January she wanted to boost energy and this was how she was going to achieve it:

• Go to sleep earlier
• Exercise better
• Toss, restore, organize
• Tackle a nagging task
• Act more energetic

February: Remember Love

March: Aim Higher

April: Lighten Up

May: Be Serious About Play

June: Make Time for Friends

July:  Buy Some Happiness

August: Contemplate the Heavens

September: Pursue a Passion

October: Pay Attention

November: Keep a Contented Heart

December:  Boot Camp Perfect

I'll admit, the writer of this book is not of the same mind as I am.  There are lots of things I couldn't necessarily relate to (she doesn't like to shop), but that ok because there was much more that I could.  An example for the month of February...stop nagging.  How hard is that!!  But its true, nagging... I feel bad for doing it in the first place, I get madder because I don't always see results and in the end it seems to be an ineffective way to communicate with my spouse.  Another one from the month of June was remember birthdays and with that I'm going to include acknowledging births, events in other people's lives.  I think I am pretty good at birthdays but sometimes I mess up and forget, get busy, etc.  And who doesn't remember who visited their newborn when they arrived?  I don't hold it against anyone who didn't make it in the first few days but you don't forget who came either.  Gossip.  I never feel good about myself after I gossip...so why do it do it?

The writer came up with a few Splendid truths over the course of her experiment:

If I want to be happier, I need to look at my life and think about feeling good, feeling bad and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth.

One of the best ways to make myself happy is to make other people happy.
One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy myself.

The days are long but the years are short.

If I think I'm happy, I am happier.

I'm sure I can find at least 5 things that contribute to my bad days, annoy me that I don't do, bad for my health, bad for my morale that all culminate to feelings of unhappiness.  I think I am going to try my own happiness project (small scale) and see how it goes.

So, today I love this book! Here's a link to her website.
http://www.happiness-project.com/