Pursuing Happiness

Lately, more than ever before, I’m finding myself thinking about happiness. It has a lot to do with questioning ‘purpose’ and fulfillment in a number of areas in my life. Am I doing the best I can in all areas of my life? What am I leaving out? Am I doing anything wrong? What can I do better? Am I happy? What is true happiness? Why am I here?

I want to be happy, or happier.  So, last week I did a google search to find a website that I came across months ago - The Happiness Project website. If I needed practical help with being happy, I thought, this was a good resource.

The Happiness project website was launched by Gretchen Rubin as part of a year she dedicated to finding true happiness for herself. She was traveling on the bus one day when she had this yearning to be happier. The next day she set out on her quest to find true happiness. The result was a year of garnering wisdom, insight, and understanding of what happiness is, and how it can be achieved, all of which found its way into a best-selling book, a website with a happiness toolbox and other ‘happiness’ journey resources, and a daily blog, all of which are helping people find their way to happiness too. You can read more about Gretchen Rubin and her project here: http://www.happiness-project.com. She encourages people to start their own happiness projects.

This week I didn’t need much encouragement. I love The Happiness Project website/Toolbox, and while I’ll tap into them for help and guidance from time to time, I know I wouldn’t have the time to follow it to the letter. So I’ve come up with a plan that will work for me. A simple plan.

Every single day I will look for something that makes me happy on that day and make note of it by writing it down. I figure that if I put myself in a position to be aware of the positive thing or things that happen to me or around me, every day, things that make me happy, then I will be forcing myself to become more positive about my overall life, and thus become a happier person.

Now I understand that ‘being happy’ is not always ‘feeling happy’. I believe happiness is being secure in the knowledge that you do not need to be anxious about ANYTHING AT ALL, even the negative things that will come your way – it’s understanding, acting, and actively thinking that you are well taken care of by God/the Universe. It’s also being comfortable with yourself (that’s the simplified version, anyway). So with that in mind, I’m starting my Happiness Project today, being aware to look for what I’ll call ‘happiness triggers’ in my day.

And at the end of each week, I’ll record a home video of me talking about my week’s ‘Happiness Wisdom’ for that past week.

I have some rules for myself:

I MUST write about a ‘happiness trigger’ every single day until the 31^st December 2011 (in the first instance)

I MUST use this section of the blog every day to write down my ‘happiness trigger’ of the day. That way I force myself to remain committed to the project

I MUST start writing my happiness trigger with the words “I am happy today because...” In this way, I will be reinforcing the concept that I am happy, in my subconscious

I should follow some of Gretchen’s other exercises and use her free resources, as often as I can

I can write about a happiness trigger only once (I can experience it as many times as possible, but I must find a new one to write about daily). This way, I have to be constantly aware of all the good things in my life

I’m not allowed to write about being happy for someone else’s happiness, while it is good to feel that way it’s a cop out from looking for my own happiness trigger

My happiness trigger must be natural - I’m not allowed to make up things to write about. They must be natural observations in the course of my day

I am not allowed to make plans for this or that achievement (in any area of my life) at the end of this project. The ONLY outcome I’m allowed to look forward to, is ‘being happy’

I’m allowed to be flexible and add (or minus) things from my project. I figure I’ll need this flexibility as the project begins to have an effect on me/my life.

So, look out for my 1^st happiness trigger this afternoon.

Do you feel the need to be happier too? I want to share this experience with you. I want this to be a sistas project, where we can support each other along the way. Why not start your own happiness project? Let me know, ok?

Charms.