Thursday, February 27, 2025

Thursday, February 27, 2025

In The Happiness Project: Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, bestselling author Gretchen Rubin writes that she had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places – a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she thought. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her own happiness.

Reading her musings, I remembered how many decades ago it occurred to me that I could not change the world but I could change myself. But how? I reread the world wisdom books, researched new scientific literature on meditation and mindfulness, and read tons of books about what it meant to be content, kind and wise. I discovered that the day I practiced journaling, meditation, walking/yoga, writing and reading was a productive day. Combined with loving family relationships, good friends, a concern for others is a powerful source of happiness. 

When we are attentive and self-aware, we have stronger relationships, are more creative, confident, and better communicators. We don’t get into why things happened but rather focus on what we can do to fix them. We act. 

I try to keep attentive and be aware from the time I leave my personal power spot in the morning to the time I go to bed at night. But you know what? Sometimes I forget. This happens because haste, noise, petty feelings, and unimportant thoughts hijack my attention. When this happens I do not admonish myself but bring my attention back to the breath and return to the task at hand. With this habit my attention and awareness have improved.

Why not hunker down now? Let the daily practice of journaling and breathing exercises begin your day. What is keeping you from grounding yourself, settling at your personal spot. The winter months are great for spending quiet time with yourself. Sitting in the silence and solitude with your body, heart, and mind at one place will start your day in a positive way. For the rest of the day, you will feel grounded. Make sure your attitude is positive. Follow the joy you have begun to derive from your daily practice and soon the joy will start following you!

Finally, I do agree with Gretchen Rubin is right when she says that an orderly and disciplined life contributes to the inner calm; that the smallest of changes can make the biggest difference, and lastly, money, when spent wisely, can buy some happiness.