Now, back to blogging about this happiness project of mine...I am still "doing" it! But, I haven't given it quite the zeal I had anticipated that I would! Bottom line, happiness comes from lots, and I mean LOTS, of good old-fashioned self denial! I like to think that sitting down, putting my feet up, while reading or browsing will make me the happiest, but no! I am truly happier when I don't give in to what I feel like doing and rather whisk around, do up the dishes, stuff some clutter, and THEN plop on my tush! Also, this happiness project isn't about joy, which I consider to be a stable fruit of having a relationship with my Maker, having the best hubby, having food, clothing, shelter etc, etc! This happiness project is directly related to what I am terming as "surface happiness," or the mood I'm in because of my own day-to-day actions. That said, I have found that it is surprisingly easy to make myself happy! An on the flip side, I've found that it's surprisingly easy to make myself sad, grumpy, or grouchy! Ouch! I'm going to start with sharing my own personal 12 commandments that I created. A few are the same as Gretchen's, but they are mostly mine. {Warning! If you haven't read Gretchen Rubin's book The Happiness Project, this post may not make much sense.}
~12 Commandments~
1. Stop while it's fun.
2. Be the better person.
3. De-escalate the situation.
4. Listen.
5. Be observant.
6. Don't whine.
7. Deny self.
8. Clean up, pick up, put away.
9. Identify the problem.
10. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
11. Say yes to saying no.
12. Be Sharon! :)
Next I'll share the three secrets of adulthood I've discovered!
~Secrets of Adulthood~
No matter how messy the kitchen is, it is possible to get it cleaned up!
If your house is clean and pretty, it won't look shabby.
Candy bars don't taste as good as you think they should.
Here's my true rules...
~True Rules~
When eating out, always order water unless they serve amazing lemonade!
Leather is better.
I'm always busy.
There's so much to learn!
OK, now for July's report which was my first month. I titled this month "Form Healthy Habits." I chose this quote for my inspiration. "Habits are safer than rules; you don't have to watch them. And you don't have to keep them either. They keep you." - Frank Crane
My resolutions were as follows:
God first
Move it!{exercise}
Make the bed
Scan the news
G'morning Kitchen - G'nite House
Blog
Sleep 8
Drink 6
No ruffled feathers
Tackle a nagging task.
Whew!! On my score sheet, I only ever did them all one day. I think I had pretty high hopes for myself! I was super happy and felt like I had it all together though on the days when I got right around and had mostly stars instead of blanks! I'm still trying to keep these things as good habits, but I sure haven't been blogging every day. And, I don't think Daniel would appreciate it if I tried to make the bed while he is still in it some mornings! Lol, "Honey, don't wriggle too much when you get out of bed, I have it all smooth and made up already!"
This is getting quite verbose....I shall wrap it up for now, get some zzzz's, and report on August, September, and October tomorrow!!
