The Happiness Project

First, it is May 23rd.  Three months since we said our final goodbye to Tripp.  It is on my mind, but it isn't consuming me today.  I had a really rough day yesterday and I think that rough day has made today easier for me.  Today, I am also motivated about my happiness project, which has given me something to keep my mind occupied.

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I order a few books on Chapters.ca a couple of weeks ago.  They have free shipping on orders over $25 and I have found books to be significantly cheaper on the website than in the store (For example, I purchased Mamarrazi online for $23.99 and it was $35.99 in the store).  Usually, I will receive anything I order within a week.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin has caught my eye on a number of occasions, so when I wanted to purchase Mamarrazi online and needed another book to get free shipping, I added it to my cart (it was $9.89). Here is the synopsis from Chapters.ca:

What if you could change your life without really changing your life? On the outside, Gretchen Rubin had it all -- a good marriage, healthy children and a successful career -- but she knew something was missing. Determined to end that nagging feeling, she set out on a year-long quest to learn how to better enjoy the life she already had.

Each month, Gretchen pursued a different set of resolutions -- go to sleep earlier, tackle a nagging task, bring people together, take time to be silly -- along with dozens of other goals. She read everything from classical philosophy to cutting-edge scientific studies, from Winston Churchill to Oprah, developing her own definition of happiness and a plan for how to achieve it. She kept track of which resolutions worked and which didn't, sharing her stories and collecting those of others through her blog (created to fulfill one of March's resolutions). Bit by bit, she began to appreciate and amplify the happiness in her life.

The Happiness Project is the engaging, relatable and inspiring result of the author's twelve-month adventure in becoming a happier person. Written with a wicked sense of humour and sharp insight, Gretchen Rubin's story will inspire readers to embrace the pleasure in their lives and remind them how to have fun.


I have written about how I know that I have a good life and that in order to honor Tripp's life, I wanted to be a good person.  This book has helped me appreciate what I have and given me concrete things (based on Rubin's research) that I can do to increase the happiness in my life.


Feeling good is important to me.  My good friend, Ader, and I used to chant, "look good, feel good, write good tests" in University.  Days that we had exams, we would get to bed early the night before, shower when we got up, do our hair, dress in jeans (vs our usual sweats), and eat a good breakfast.  We figured that the better we felt, the more likely we would be able to perform our best on the exam.  I am revamping this motto to, "look good, feel good, be happier".  I know for myself that when I am well rested, in good shape, and dressed nicely I feel the best.  If I am feeling my best, I will be happier.  I am going to continue to work on eating healthy (this includes eating more veggies), getting exercise and not wearing pajamas all day when I don't have to leave the house!  "Look good, feel good, be happier!"


I am going to try to make Monday's my Happiness Project blog day.  I am hoping that if I commit to writing about what I am doing to be happier, I will be more focused each week on doing little things to improve on my happiness.  


If you need an easy, inspiring read for the summer, I totally recommend reading The Happiness Project.  It has motivated me.  

           These were given to me by Deena.  I took the picture yesterday in the shining sun.