didn’t go in search for ‘The Happiness Project’ and it certainly doesn’t fall into a genre that would typically grace my bookshelf. Even so, one day, after scouring the dusty racks at a church bazar, this self-improvement book managed to find its way into my shopping bag. Let me just add here, that shopping for secondhand books is one of my favourite – albeit most obscure, pastimes. Just take one look at our overflowing bookshelf, and it will tell the story of how much I love finding a bestselling novel, in new condition, for less than ¼ of the price. Seriously, if I’m not home, come look for me at St. Vincent de Paul...I’ll be the one in the fiction section, buried under a pile of books.
When I came across ‘The Happiness Project’, it was in my hands for no more an a few seconds before I replaced it back in the stacks with its rejected comrades. The irony of buying a book about improving happiness, while already feeling happy, and while participating in one of the activities that makes me the happiest, was not lost on me…but as I made my way down the aisle, something about those little blue birds and the unevenly cut pages made me think twice about letting it go. The book cost $1 (the retail price is $29.99 – score!), so what did I have to lose?…well, $1, but I digress…
When I got home, I sorted through my new collection of secondhand goodies, and settled in to a relaxing afternoon with ‘The Happiness Project’. To my surprise, I was instantly hooked! I quickly learned that Gretchen Rubin began her book as a happy woman, with a successful career, excellent health and a beautiful family; yet, one day she realized that her bad habits and a long list of excuses were dampening the quality of her life. She, and her family, deserved better. They deserved the happiest possible version of Gretchen, and so began her challenge to tackle 12 different life resolutions (one per month) in order to maximize her happiness. This inspired me in a way that I don’t usually get inspired from books. I saw myself in Gretchen: I was happy, I was healthy, and I had great relationships with friends and family, but I also had bad habits that were possibly inhibiting my quality of life.
This New Year, I’ve decided to take on my own Happiness Project. It’s super easy to setup and if anyone is interested in starting their own Happiness Project, you can head on over to Gretchen’s website to learn more!
I’ve written out my own list of resolutions, and this month’s Happiness Project is ‘career’; an opportunity to iron out the obstacles that bring me grief in my business and highlight facts that keep me passionate about a career in photography.
I hope you follow along with me over the next 12 months as I post updates on my Happiness Project, and as always, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Hunting for happiness,
Amy