A couple of months ago, a friend of mine recommended that I read the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen Rubin is an author, wife and mother of two that felt she had lost her ability to find happiness in the normal day. In the opening of her book The Happiness Project, she describes how she was sitting on a city bus during a rainstorm when she had an epiphany. She felt that each day she was just getting through the day, not truly enjoying it. She started to question her happiness and decided to start a project: a happiness project. Her book is a reflection of her journey to find happiness in the average day.
Gretchen started her project by making 12 resolutions, one she would tackle each month of the year that she devoted to her happiness project. My favorite of her resolutions (and her first resolution) was “to be Gretchen”. As college students, all of us lead busy, chaotic and stressful lifestyles. It is easy to forget who we are or to do what makes us happy. Think about something that makes you happy. How often do you do that? Eat that? Hang out with that person? While school work and work are important they tend to prevent us from doing things each day that make us happy and feel like ourselves. Making time in your day to do what you love is just as important as studying for that test you have. Not only will it boost your mood, but also it might even make you more productive because you won’t feel as lost in the chaotic college lifestyle.
Not only does Gretchen tackle a resolution each month but she also does a lot of research on happiness and what it means to be happy. She shares her findings in her book. One reflection she makes that stood out to me was that society tends to associate depth in personality with sadness. However, if you think about it, this does not make a whole lot of sense. She describes how the person who is able to find joy in each day is strong in character. To be a generally happy person requires one to overcome the obstacles of life hat often get us down. To be able to do this consistently, takes diligence and shows strength in the individual. Being happy takes a work; it does not come easily.
One important distinction Rubin makes in her book and is important to the person reading this article, is that her book was not being happy and being clinically depressed are two very different things. Her book could provide help to individuals suffering from depression, however, depression is a much more serious problem and individuals who believe they are suffering from depression should seek help. Rubin’s book allowed me to reflect on the way I live my life. I questioned my happiness and whether or not I was living each day to the fullest. After reading her book I found I really could use some help finding joy in the average day. For example, I love to draw. However, I often never make the time for it. After reading Gretchen’s book I made a set of my own resolutions to keep in mind as I go through the year. One of them is to draw more. I encourage you to read Rubin’s book and make your own resolutions. Do what makes you happy! Honor you!
For more of Rubin’s advice you can visit her website. She has written other books, including The Four Tendencies, Better than Before and Happier at Home. On her site she also has podcasts, self quizzes, blogs and much more.
Cover Photo courtesy of Gretchen Rubin