Friday, December 11, 2009

The Happiness Project

A book saved my #$%* the other night. I'm being a touch melodramatic, but not entirely. I was hip deep in a funk I've been fighting for about two weeks now, ready to abandon hope and go down with the ship. But as anyone who's seen Titanic knows, sinking ships take awhile. So in an effort to keep myself occupied (and lacking the energy to rearrange the deck chairs) I picked up the advanced copy I'd received of Gretchen Rubin's new book THE HAPPINESS PROJECT. Forty five minutes and three chapters later, I felt like maybe--just maybe--it would be worth the effort to right the ship.

Gretchen is also a lawyer-turned-writer (although her lawyering was of a much more impressive variety than mine: she clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, I made coffee one summer for a judge newly elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas...) and I think our minds run along some of the same channels, both for good (creative drive! motivation! an ability to express ourselves clearly and persuasively!) and bad (want affirmation and gold stars! quite convinced we're right! not always discrete about conveying this information!) What I love about this book is Gretchen's combination of honest self-exploration with real attempts to live a happier life. This isn't a self-help book, but rather a memoir that happens to have some ideas that you yourself could try (I've been sleeping better since I followed two of her suggestions, and that makes everything a little better...)

I'll be blogging more about this book in the future...Gretchen tackles twelve areas of life in her book and I'm thinking it might make a really fun post-Christmas series if I try to do the same. But if you're looking for a book to make the waiting part of life a little easier, pre-order this book now so you'll have a fun surprise on December 29th when it arrives.

Question: If you could feel happier in one area of life, which would it be?

4 comments:

Sarakastic said...

I think I need this book now I love the title.

LEstes65 said...

Wow. I'm thankful to Gretchen for pulling my pal out of the funk.

As to your question: I'd like to be happier (ie - more successful) in figuring out how to manifest this passion I have for teaching/speaking. I haven't figured out how I'm going to do that yet.

Trish Ryan said...

Sarakastic--you will LOVE the book. I'm even finding inspiration (and entertainment) in the chapters that don't apply to my current life.

LE--it will happen, and it will be awesome. I reserve the right to pick out your outfit for your first big speaking gig... :)

Gretchen Rubin said...

Trish! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the book -- that makes me so HAPPY!

And I'm so pleased that you found it helpful in your own life.

xxx