Gretchen Rubin is one of the most thought-provoking and influential writers on happiness. Her books Happier at Home and The Happiness Project were both instant New York Times bestsellers, and The Happiness Project has spent more than two years on the bestseller list. Here, she writes about her adventures as she test-drives the studies and theories about how to be happier.
External url: http://www.gretchenrubin.com/get-started/get-started/
Tags: happiness
The First Splendid Truth will help you identify areas to tackle in your Happiness Project. Ask yourself:
▪ What makes you feel good? What gives you joy, energy, fun? ▪ What makes you feel bad? What brings you anger, guilt, boredom, dread? ▪ What makes you feel right? What values do you want your life to reflect? ▪ How can you build an atmosphere of growth—where you learn, explore, build, teach, help?
Make resolutions that are concrete and manageable. “Play with my dog each morning” is more effective than “Get more fun out of life.”
Create an activity for each of your resolutions with the goal "happiness project." Set a duration for them. Examples can be found here.
To hold yourself accountable to them, mark when you do each one by clicking "did today." I recommend you write a blog entry about them as well.
When an activity is no longer relevant, delete it from your plan.
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Every Wednesday is Tip Day, or List Day.
In my study of happiness, I’ve labored to identify its fundamental principles. Because I get a tremendous kick out of the numbered lists that pop up throughout Buddhism (the Triple Refuge, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, the eight auspicious symbols), I decided to dub these fundamental principles as my Eight Splendid Truths.
Each one of these truths sounds fairly obvious and straightforward, but each was the product of tremendous thought. Take the Second Splendid Truth—it’s hard to exaggerate the clarity I gained when I finally managed to put it into words. Here they are:
First Splendid Truth To be happier, you have to think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth.
Second Splendid Truth One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.
Third Splendid Truth The days are long, but the years are short. (Click here to see my one-minute movie; of everything I’ve written about happiness, I think this video resonates most with people.)
Fourth Splendid Truth You’re not happy unless you think you’re happy. [Many argue the opposite case. John Stuart Mill, for example, wrote, “Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.” I disagree.]
Fifth Splendid Truth I can build a happy life only on the foundation of my own nature.
Sixth Splendid Truth The only person I can change is myself.
Seventh Splendid Truth Happy people make people happy, but I can’t make someone be happy, and No one else can make me happy.
Eighth Splendid Truth Now is now.
What did I miss? What Splendid Truth is missing from that list?
Now I’m trying to come up with my personal eight auspicious symbols for happiness. Let’s see—bluebird, ruby slippers, dice, blood, bird house, treasure box, roses…hmmm. I will have to keep thinking about that.
* I enjoyed cruising around The Cool Hunter—”roaming the USA and the globe, so you’re in the know”—to look at all the cool things there.
* The holidays are approaching! If you’re giving The Happiness Project (can’t resist mentioning: #1New York Times bestseller), and you’d like a signed bookplate or signature card to include with it, sign up here or email me at [email protected]. But do it fast! There’s not much time. Order your copy. Read sample chapters.