Organization = Happiness!?!

The following is actually a cut and paste from a post that I made this past May.  My New Year's post from yesterday reminded me of it and it seemed to fit rather well, so I decided to share it once again.

In case you are not familiar with this book, it is broken up into 12 different tasks, one for each month.  Each of these tasks are what the author, Gretchen Rubin, researched and practiced herself in her quest to live a happier life.

The first task is... organization!  As I have stated previously, or in this case, below, I have attempted this project 3 times but never completed all 12 months.  I did however always start with the first and completed it each time.  It is amazing what a little decluttering and an little organization can do for the mind and the spirit.  As I sit here looking at all of Christmas decorations and unpacking that I have not yet finished from holiday visits, I am inspired and determined to tackle organization, atleast for today, lol.  And I know that it will make me feel happier.




Living a Happy Life... May 3, 2015

Has anyone heard of or read The Happiness Project?  It came out about 6 years ago and it's a book/guide that focuses on a different topic each month for a whole year.  These topics are meant to help you polish up your life and make you more appreciative for what you have and to improve upon the areas that are lacking or bothersome so that they no longer influence you in a way that takes away from what is important and what essentially makes you happy.

I have attempted The Happiness Project three times over the past few years.  Shamefully, I have never finished.  The closest I got was to get to month six.  I am not sure why I was never able to finish.  It's actually a really good book, with lots of great ideas.  What I did accomplish, did make me feel... happy!  I wasn't planning on it, but now that I have written what I have so far on this post, it is making me think that perhaps I should attempt this project one more time.  Fourth time is a charm!?!?!?! ;)

The reason why I wanted to dedicate this post to The Happiness Project  is because one of the things that the author, Gretchen Rubin, did in the beginning of her book was to create a list of 12 "commandments."  I really liked the idea of creating a list of thoughts that I truly believe.  I also like the idea of sharing those thoughts out loud, whether verbally or in written form.  It is then that they become alive.  Below is my list of 12.  I made this list over three years ago and to this day, I have not changed one.  I love my list.  It's me.  And when I am able to truly follow them, I am... happy!

So here it is, my list...

1.  Trust your gut.

2.  Surround yourself with good people.

3.  Let go.

4.  Smile.

5.  Live in and enjoy the moment.

6.  You are stronger than you think you are.

7.  Find beauty in the small.

8.  Hold your head high, with confidence and grace.

9.  There are always two sides.

10.  Share your thoughts with tact and dignity.

11.  Just be.

12.  If you always choose the rational, you may miss out on the extraordinary.


I challenge you to create your own list.  I'd love for you to share at least one of your own personal words of how you live in a way that makes you feel happy.