Book Club Friday
I read this book back at the end of August but I am still finding myself referencing it or highlighting it or talking about it with strangers. I figured I would share this book with everyone, and if you haven't read it... I don't know what's taking you so long! I also wanted to share some of my favorite quotations and and ideas from the book.
I read this book back at the end of August but I am still finding myself referencing it or highlighting it or talking about it with strangers. I figured I would share this book with everyone, and if you haven't read it... I don't know what's taking you so long! I also wanted to share some of my favorite quotations and and ideas from the book.
The idea of the book, if you didn't already know, was how a Supreme Court clerk quit her job to be a writer. She spent a year focusing on what makes people "happy" and made resolutions for things that would help get her organized, productive, motivated, and well... generally happy.
I personally loved the book. Sure, the idea of happiness is up to your own individuality, but I appreciated her ideas, her resolution organization, and the fact that she is so connected to social media that the Happiness Project doesn't have to end. She emails out her resolution charts, there are local groups for others trying their own Happiness Project, and she has a busy Facebook where she offers autographed book plates and memos. Perhaps this is why I haven't blogged about the book yet -- there's too much to share.
My "bookplate" that I hung on my bulletin board. In the book, she says to "Be Gretchen" which basically means to accept who she is and who she is not. I asked to have her write "Be Krystal!" on it. I thought it came out cute. You can request these on her Facebook book for free (Search for Gretchen Rubin).
After reading the book, I sought out some of her ideas and wanted to keep track of them here.
Quotes That I Liked
"Junk attracks more junk. If you clear it off, it's likely to stay clear."
"Act the way I want to feel."
"What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while."
"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that, but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing"--Yeats
"You can choose what you do; you can't choose what you like to do."
"Help people think big." She goes on to say "Words of enthusiasm and confidence from a friend can inspire you to tackle an ambitious goal."
"Spend Out: Don't think about the return." Instead of keeping score, just DO IT. Don't do something because you expect something in return.
"By the end of November, I'd realized that one of the most important lessons of the happiness project is that if I keep my resolutions and do the things that make me happier, I end up feeling happier and acting more virtuously. Do good, feel good. Feel good, do good."
Two Things I *really* Liked:
"One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself."
In the Make Time for Friends chapter, the part I liked the most was "Show Up." "80% of of success is showing up just as a big part of friendship is showing up. Unless you make consistent efforts, your friendships aren't going to survive."
Things That I'm Trying To Do--Inspired By This Book
>> Take Time for projects. Basically, she suggests to squeeze as much "fun" as you can from a single event. "To eke the most happiness from an experience, we must anticipate it, savor it as it unfolds, express happiness, and recall a happy memory."
>> Start a collection. I have a gazillion postcards--both blank and those that were received by me. The author started collecting bluebirds! What a cute little item to collect.
>> A Happiness Box--where the author collected all sorts of little trinkets meant to trigger happy thoughts and memories.
>> Remember BIRTHDAYS! She suggested sending out birthday emails to keep in touch with friends. I took this one step further and updated my planner with everyone's birthday and have been sending birthday cards out to their homes. It gave me a big boost of satistifaction, just as the author said it would. Also, it makes MY day when someone texts me to say how it made THEIR day they received a personalized birthday card.
>> Indulge in a modest splurge. She bought NICE pens. I did the same. My Sharpie Pens are expensive but they give me so much pleasure when I write with them in my planner! Other modest splurges involve glittery nail polish, stationary, postage.
>> One-sentence journal. Help remember the ordinary of your day but also this would be neat to re-read after a long period of time. This could also be a "Happiness Journal." What made you happy today?
>> Keep a gratitude notebook. What are you thankful for today? "Gratitude is important to happiness" She logged three things each day that made her thankful along with her one sentence journal.
>> Find your passion. "Making time for a passion and treating it as a real priority instead of an 'extra' to be fitted in at a free moment will bring a tremendous happiness boost."
>> Change computer passwords to something more inspirational. If you have to type them in everyday multiple times a day , they should be something that stimulates your thoughts! My current passwords involve my birthday, so I think that's why I'm a big birthday person and make a big deal about the day.
>> Keep a food diary! I've been doing this via My Fitness Pal on my phone. It's nice to see and see how far I have come but how far I still have to go.
Things The Book Inspired Me To Do That I Haven't Yet:
>> Get a pedometer {to prove how lazy I really am}
>> "Blank Books" -- A book filled with clippings, memorabilia, notes, cartoons, lists, etc. Sounds like a scrapbook but it's so much more than that.
>> Start an "interest Log" to track things that you like and want to research more.
>> Buy 3 new magazines--ones that you'd never have read otherwise. The author closed her eyes in a magazaine newsstand and picked three really random magazines but ended up gaining different prespectives and learning new things.
To conclude, I love how she mentioned this at the end of the book. Most of all - "you hit a goal, you keep a resolution."
Just re-reading my notes and some of these passages put me in a better mood today.
:-)
Here is the Happiness Project online and the Happiness Project Toolbox which has all kinds of charts and tools!
After reading the book, I sought out some of her ideas and wanted to keep track of them here.
Quotes That I Liked
"Junk attracks more junk. If you clear it off, it's likely to stay clear."
"Act the way I want to feel."
"What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while."
"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that, but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing"--Yeats
"You can choose what you do; you can't choose what you like to do."
"Help people think big." She goes on to say "Words of enthusiasm and confidence from a friend can inspire you to tackle an ambitious goal."
"Spend Out: Don't think about the return." Instead of keeping score, just DO IT. Don't do something because you expect something in return.
"By the end of November, I'd realized that one of the most important lessons of the happiness project is that if I keep my resolutions and do the things that make me happier, I end up feeling happier and acting more virtuously. Do good, feel good. Feel good, do good."
Two Things I *really* Liked:
"One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself."
In the Make Time for Friends chapter, the part I liked the most was "Show Up." "80% of of success is showing up just as a big part of friendship is showing up. Unless you make consistent efforts, your friendships aren't going to survive."
Things That I'm Trying To Do--Inspired By This Book
>> Take Time for projects. Basically, she suggests to squeeze as much "fun" as you can from a single event. "To eke the most happiness from an experience, we must anticipate it, savor it as it unfolds, express happiness, and recall a happy memory."
>> Start a collection. I have a gazillion postcards--both blank and those that were received by me. The author started collecting bluebirds! What a cute little item to collect.
>> A Happiness Box--where the author collected all sorts of little trinkets meant to trigger happy thoughts and memories.
>> Remember BIRTHDAYS! She suggested sending out birthday emails to keep in touch with friends. I took this one step further and updated my planner with everyone's birthday and have been sending birthday cards out to their homes. It gave me a big boost of satistifaction, just as the author said it would. Also, it makes MY day when someone texts me to say how it made THEIR day they received a personalized birthday card.
>> Indulge in a modest splurge. She bought NICE pens. I did the same. My Sharpie Pens are expensive but they give me so much pleasure when I write with them in my planner! Other modest splurges involve glittery nail polish, stationary, postage.
>> One-sentence journal. Help remember the ordinary of your day but also this would be neat to re-read after a long period of time. This could also be a "Happiness Journal." What made you happy today?
>> Keep a gratitude notebook. What are you thankful for today? "Gratitude is important to happiness" She logged three things each day that made her thankful along with her one sentence journal.
>> Find your passion. "Making time for a passion and treating it as a real priority instead of an 'extra' to be fitted in at a free moment will bring a tremendous happiness boost."
>> Change computer passwords to something more inspirational. If you have to type them in everyday multiple times a day , they should be something that stimulates your thoughts! My current passwords involve my birthday, so I think that's why I'm a big birthday person and make a big deal about the day.
>> Keep a food diary! I've been doing this via My Fitness Pal on my phone. It's nice to see and see how far I have come but how far I still have to go.
Things The Book Inspired Me To Do That I Haven't Yet:
>> Get a pedometer {to prove how lazy I really am}
>> "Blank Books" -- A book filled with clippings, memorabilia, notes, cartoons, lists, etc. Sounds like a scrapbook but it's so much more than that.
>> Start an "interest Log" to track things that you like and want to research more.
>> Buy 3 new magazines--ones that you'd never have read otherwise. The author closed her eyes in a magazaine newsstand and picked three really random magazines but ended up gaining different prespectives and learning new things.
To conclude, I love how she mentioned this at the end of the book. Most of all - "you hit a goal, you keep a resolution."
Just re-reading my notes and some of these passages put me in a better mood today.
:-)
Here is the Happiness Project online and the Happiness Project Toolbox which has all kinds of charts and tools!
9 comments:
I'm planning on reading this in December or January to help me get ready for the new year...it seems wonderful!
What perfect timing, I just started reading this yesterday! I'm only about halfway through, but I'm really liking it so far!
This sounds awesome! It sounds like anyone and everyone should read this book.
OK, I think I might need to get this and pass it around to the rest of the people in my family...lol
I have wanted to read this book for quite some time now! Now you are making me want to read it even more!
oh my goodness. i've seen this book around and now i reaaallly want to read it! :)
interesting, sounds like a fun and motivational read :)
happy friday!
This sounds like a really great book. I've been meaning to read "What Color Is Your Parachute" lately too & it sounds like these books would compliment each other... esp. for my soon-to-be unemployed self. LOL It's on the list. :)
I love the idea behind this book! I haven't read it yet, but I might need to stop by the bookstore on the way home to pick it up. I'm really loving the things that you're doing to make yourself happier too. Thanks for posting this today!
xoxo,
Joelle
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