Inspired Happiness Project

After reading GR's Happier at Home I was inspired to do a little project myself.  Just for a month, to see what happens.  Now, I am already a fairly happy person, so this project is to help me substantiate and sustain my happiness, appreciate it a little more because...well...I feel very blessed in life and I want to make sure I am being thankful, humble, grateful about that happiness and I want to share it!

GR has a template on her website, but I couldn't figure out how to type my resolutions into it, so I ended up copying hers and making my own.  Here is hers.  I will also share mine with you if you want, but you'll have to email me for it as I can't make google documents work right now.

Here is my chart filled out with my resolutions!

These are resolutions that work for me.  Yours may be a little different.  I like this little project because it actually helps me be a little more accountable for my life, happiness, prayer, health, sanity, etc.  I hung this up right next to my side of the bed, so I can give myself a little check mark every day on any of the columns that I accomplish.  This will help me think more about what makes me happy, its active happiness!  How very self-aware and counselor-ish of me.  We will see what happens!  Since today is the 28th (actually the 29th now!) I started at the bottom and will loop up into July.  

Let me sum up my resolutions.  

Pray - I usually pray throughout the day when I think of something or have time or need help (guilty) but this resolution will help me pray purposefully, maybe right before bed or when I wake up.   I need to carve time out of my life to pray and give thanks to God, not just here and there or when I have time.   Jesus makes me happy, so why not spend some purposeful time with Him!

Make a healthy choice - When I feel healthy, I feel happy.  I feel good.  This could be any healthy choice.  Like going to the gym.  Or not eating candy, or skipping french fries or taking a walk.  I wanted it to be general and free formed, because I think it will be easier to keep it.  Plus, it'll help me see that I AM making health choices and hopefully encourage me to make more healthy choices.

Earth - Lately I've been reading a lot about something called "earthing".  It's the matter of connecting your body to the actual ground, like putting your feet in the grass.  There is all this research out there (trying Googling it!) that says that earthing is so healthy for you in so many ways.  It grounds our bodies, electrically, because we have so much negative charge.  When our bodies come in contact with the ground, some of that negative charge flows into the earth and stabilizes our bodies.  It's supposed to help with stress, sleep, pain, and so much more.  It's really interesting.  So...I'm trying a little experiment with it;)  Less stress and pain; more sleep?  Sounds like a happy life to me!

Tackle a project - You know I love to DIY and get stuff done!  Part of my personal happiness is productivity, so this is totally on my happiness resolution chart.  It doesn't have to be a big project and it doesn't say to finish a project, just tackle one;)

Spend out - This is a Gretchen Rubin statement.  It means to give, or help, or look outside myself to see what others need.  I do this in my job a lot, but right now in summer I don't want to be selfish.  I want to make a solid effort to help others, be kind, volunteer, give, spend out;)  Nothing to do with money, unless I am giving for a cause.  Giving out would make others and myself happy, hopefully!

Hugs - I need to hug more.  I need to hug generously and earnestly and let people know that I love them to pieces.  I don't hug and show my love to people enough.  Personal contact with the ones we love help make us all happy!

Don't bite - This may be a surprise to some (not to Dave;)  lol!) but I have somewhat of an undercover red-headed temper sometimes (I was born with a head full of red hair.  It all fell out and came back as blond, but the temper still lurks up there)  I used to think that having a freak out was a good expression of my feelings, but it never leads to good things.  I yell at dumb drivers a lot too - it's terrible!  They don't hear me, but I do it!  I need to be slow to anger, underreact, and think about my words and actions.  Being more calm will probably help me enjoy life more, and others will enjoy me more;)

Seek adventure - I love to do this.  I am very adventurous!  I love to find new things to do, new places to see, new restaurants to try or parks to walk through.  It makes me, and usually my family, very happy and I want to be more thoughtful about this part of me.  I want to go on a new adventure at least once every month.  It doesn't have to cost money, but it can, and it has to be new!  There is too much world out there to not have new adventures.  

So there you have it.  My resolutions.  I'll try my best, probably forget a lot, but it should be fun.  Remember, these are what make me happy, what makes you happy could be totally different.  I would encourage you to read the books, if you are into this sort of thing!  They are really good and just make sense!  If you want a blank copy of my chart, email me!  

Cheers :)