Book Review: The Happiness Project

This book started my summer purely because the title contained 'happiness' and I was not disappointed. Gretchen Rubin decided to experiment with different ways to make her life happier and broke the year-long experiment into monthly focuses such as "February: Remember Love", "April: Lighten Up", and "October: Pay Attention". She ended the year with a December Happiness Boot Camp where she realized that, "I could change my life without changing my life. When I made the effort to reach out for them, I found that the ruby slippers had been on my feet all along; the bluebird was singing outside my kitchen window." We all have the ability to lead lifestyles where we are mindful of others, where we sometimes leave negativity unsaid, where we try new activities, where we bring people together, where we clean out clutter, and actually show up to/in our lives. But many people don't take advantage of the energy it takes or think about their lives enough to accomplish these. I enjoyed reading this book because I, like Rubin, see the benefits of self-reflection/self-awareness, of setting resolutions to constantly work on rather than just setting goals, and of being grateful for what I have (although I don't always show it). She often discussed living in an atmosphere of growth and how that is generally better and "happier" than the final result or achievement. This struck a cord with me. Sometimes the journey to get somewhere or accomplish something is sweeter than the end reward itself. I also found the vast amount of outside readings she discussed from Tolstoy, Samuel Johnson, and Saint Therese to name a few, the incorporation of her personal experiences and experiences of those who commented on her blog, as well as her candid accounts of "failures" to be useful in applying her resolutions to my own life.

While there were times Rubin discussed behaviors which I already try to do, for example - Buy needful things, Stimulate the mind in new ways, Use good manners - it helped to know someone else thinks these are important and necessary to live a balanced lifestyle. So what did I really get out of reading this novel? Mostly it was a question: What is necessary for me to feel like I lead a happy, balanced life while also making those closest to me happy at the same time? We often project emotions or attitudes which we don't mean to and this book helped me think about how others might interpret the way I act or react. It helped me think about what I could do to make my attitude, openness, and overall self a little better. And as a result I hope to find that "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" just as Rubin did.

If you are interested in learning more about The Happiness Project, you can visit Rubin's blog or pick up the book! Rubin says, "The days are long but the years are short" so what are you waiting for? Join me and try a happiness project of your own!