Hello all and if you are new to my blog welcome!

Seeing as we are in the first month of the year,  I wanted to make it my mission to read a new book every week for the whole year or maybe even the rest of my life, who knows? The point of me doing this challenge is to enhance, enliven, and engross myself in the beauty that I believe is all around me. Books help me tremendously in getting me to see things in a different perspective. It never fails that I find something that resonates with me and it gives me context in a way that I could never have formulated before! I felt that this was a great book to start off with as I am trying to create my own happiness project. In fact, just this week alone I have hopped back on social media and started creating my own videos.

The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin

Getting started chapter

• Feeling dissatisfied -feeling that something is missing. After further reflection, I would have to say that I am always thinking about my past, all the stupid things that I have done. As my boyfriend likes to elude to I have a “poor me” mentality. The odd thing is, I never feel like being present through out my day. However, as of this month I have worked on staying calm, stating my intent, and taking a deep breath to help me be a more effective person. I have also been more conscientious on my posture and tone of voice as I think those things combined help benefit the way I feel throughout the day. One of the biggest things that I have an issue with is eating and drinking from vending machines at work. Energy drinks are becoming my worst nightmare and while they do give me that boost of energy that I need, its not the way in which I want to go about getting it. When I take a serious inventory of all the things I do throughout my day I can’t help but notice how all those things are a direct contribution to the way I feel about being dissatisfied. I do the things that are convenient in the moment, the stuff that gives me that instant gratification.

• Do I believe it is possible for me to be happier?

If I can’t appreciate the amazing things that I have in my life now, then no, I sadly don’t believe it will be possible for me to be happy. How I treat the things that I already have needs to improve as well. I also need to let go of things that bring no value or joy into my life. In other words, nothing good can come into my life when it is crowded out by things that have no meaning. When I get clear about the stuff that I thoroughly enjoy and value, that is when a happier me will emerge. I look forward to clearing out and reorganizing my life!

• What is “happiness”?

Happiness is a choice according to my boyfriend. Which would mean that people choose unhappiness. I just don’t believe that people want to be unhappy. However, I believe that life is a series of choices and though we may believe that certain choices will lead to happiness we discover that it was nothing more than a hard lesson. Happiness is not a result. Happiness is not a destination. Happiness is perspective. Happiness requires a certain amount of humility. Happiness is a lens in which you go about living your life.

• The opposite of happiness is unhappiness, not depression.

This is profound, and it made me think. In fact, it caused me to re-frame the way I look at myself too. I have been so used to calling myself depressed when the reality is, I am extremely unhappy. I need to get clear about the things that make me unhappy or just in a negative state of mind.

• What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while.

Perfect example would be if I had some daily ritual, which I don’t yet have, but totally want one. Meditation definitely needs to be a part of my morning and night routine. Part of why I started this blog was a way for me to meditate and go over my thought process in a deep thought out way.

• Don’t wait for a crisis to remake your life.