The Happiness Project

I recently read Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project. It's a slim volume to begin with, and she freely quotes from comments on her blog. Her particular technique for implementing happiness-boosting changes in her life (extensive charts to track how she is doing on dozens of resolutions day-by-day) is far from universal. And her good-natured husband comes out as a bit of a hero when you think about some of the character traits she is attempting to reform.

That said, I found the book helpful and interesting. The author has gone through a process of facing her faults and limitations, and figuring out why these changes are needed.

It's not easy to change one's own attitudes and habits, and she has found a method that works for her. While resolutions are most emphatically not my thing, I can see similarities between her structured technique and the discipline of daily prayer for a believer. Regular daily prayer likewise helps continually focus one's attention on one's intentions and areas of concern, in the context of a larger, purpose-giving goal; it can be bolstered in fellowship with other believers who can support, encourage and hold each other accountable for progress.

I also appreciate her exploration of the happiness literature on our behalf, and her honest (but thankfully, not excessively confessional) reports of the fits and starts on her journey to help increase happiness for herself and her family.

A former colleague of mine likes to say sometimes, "These are gems that I'm giving you." Cynics may find much to mock, but there are gems here for those who truly seek them.