Happiness Project

Feb 12, 2018
4 min read

Thank you for reading my blog...

I have so many great thoughts swimming in my head. I really don't know where to begin. So, I figured I better start by giving credit to the woman who has ignited these thoughts, Gretchen Rubin. Perhaps you have heard of her or even read her books. At this moment I haven't read her books in there entirety. I find myself listening to her podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin instead. To be honest with myself I am really not much of a writer or reader (rather, it goes in waves). I would love to be better at both (that's why I decided to write this blog). I am going to treat this blog as a thought download/mind dump because I don't know where to begin and I just want to get it all out of my mind. Sure, I could write about the best tips on how to do this and that around the house, but I know and believe I want to start with HAPPINESS!! In the future I will probably write about those things too, but for now it's all about HAPPINESS!

How This All Began

Sometimes I get upset with myself because I get to such a stand still with all of my consuming. Consuming of podcasts, reading articles online, researching how to do things better, and not taking action. So now I'm taking action and writing this blog for anyone who cares to read it or for those of you who can relate. It feels so good in this moment that I am putting "pen to paper" and sharing all of this. I had a conversation with myself that if I write my blog I will take action on the tasty nuggets that I'm learning from Gretchen Rubin!

Ever since I was turned on to Podcasts I haven't turned them off! I'm a podcast junkie!! One podcast begets another and before I know it I'm having the ultimate binge listening fest! If I find one I love and if they have a book or program I'll buy it or sign up (consuming)! I'm a consumer. Which is a good thing but when you find yourself consuming and not taking action that doesn't always feel right in my spirit. It is a bit isolating. I know about myself that I love the sense of community. I thrive on connecting with others and knowing that I can help people get through their clutter. It is a joy for me and not a chore. At this moment I am feeling joy knowing that I might be helping at least one other person to be on their way to clear clutter both mentally and physically!

What does this have to do with being organized? I'd say HAPPINESS!! Who doesn't want to be happy/happier?? Two hands in the air, ME! If you know me, you'd know I LOVE Oprah (Oprah for President 2020!!) I'd been missing Oprah and then last week found, you guessed it, I found her Super Soul Conversations Podcast. I scrolled through the available episodes and Gretchen Rubin's 8 Rules to Happiness caught my eyes. I was enjoying her stories about how she took on a Happiness Project and was starting to feel a sense of me wanting to do the same thing. And then... the best part of the interview Gretchen starts talking about clutter and how getting rid of it contributes to, you guessed it HAPPINESS! Well that ignited me and guess what I did... I bought ALL 3 of her books (guilty again... consuming). Now, I wish I could read them faster than I can, I wish I could use osmosis and absorb all the goodness that lies on those pages. So here is the start of my journey. I'd ABSOLUTELY LOVE it if some of you came on this journey with me!!

My journey begins... I decided that I should start listening to her podcast from episode 1 and do it in order as if I'd been following her from day one. I listen to her and her sister and hear the true sense of the grassroots in their message and loved it even more. She just sounds like someone I can resonate with and I love how she's sharing her journey with her sister who is her "happiness guinnea pig".

Happier at Home

EVERYONE Has the Same Universal truth:

HOME is tied to HAPPINESS.

I'm finding that clutter in our lives is clutter in our minds! Getting rid of clutter really begins in the brain and in our thoughts. To free yourself of clutter I think we need to change our thoughts. Little daily happiness tasks will beget more happiness tasks. Start with making your bed! Some of you might not be bothered by an unmade bed. I absolutely have to have my bed made. I've always been like that. So it's not I task I had to learn or add into my daily routine. But I love the thought that lies behind making a bed. Making your bed will make you feel calmer and more energetic. One small task can propel you into another small task, that leads to more and more tasks completed each day. Those small accomplishments resonate in our minds and we get a spiritual lift, unmeasurable surge of joy, a sense of pride in ourselves and a dose of dopamine that makes us feel better. We, as humans, have three things that we are programed to do: 1. Avoid pain, 2. Seek pleasure, 3. With as little effort possible. Making your bed accomplishes all three of those things. 1. Avoid pain- it doesn't hurt to make your bed, 2. Pleasure- it feels good to look at a clean and tidy bed, 3. Little effort- it really is little effort to make your bed (unless your like me (here's a picture of my bed) and have 12 decorative pillows on your bed).

Here we go...! Let's increase our HAPPINESS! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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