Pick 12

Each month I plan to tackle a different aspect of my life that leads to happiness.

So, how do I choose??

Gretchen says that one of the most important elements to happiness is your social circle
.:. I spend most of my time either at school, at work, or with my friends and boyfriend.

1) Boyfriend

2) Friends/Roommates

3) Coworkers

She also says that happiness relies on a person's perspective
.:. I focus on my future and my attitude

4) Future/goals/aspirations

5) Attitude and outlook

Lastly, she states that happiness is reliant on not only work but play and leisure
.:. I spend majority of my time at work, in school, and playtime (weekend fun!! :) )

6) Working and jobs

7) College

8) Playtime

There also is a few odds and ends that aren't met in those groups she adds in 2 topics that I agree with 100%

9) Money

10) Energy and motivation

There is one I thought about on my own which is a big issue for me. I seem very uptight sometimes so I guess I just really need to relax and live a little so...

11) Lighten Up

I plan on tackling one topic each month. I have 11 so far, and I'm going to take what Gretchen did and use my last month for my reflection month. I'm going to try and follow all of my resolutions and see how my project turned out.

Gretchen also came up with "Ten Commandments" so here are mine.
These commandments will be used when I'm on edge about keeping my resolutions and sticking with them. Just a few words of guidance...

1---Be true
2---Breathe
3---Finish what you start
4---See both sides
5---Lighten up
6---Enjoy the journey
7---Time doesn't matter
8---If you fail, keep trying
9---Solve the root of the problem
10---Use help

As it seems like I'm talking about Gretchen a lot, it's because I am. She is my inspiration for this project and many of her lines are BRILLIANT and I would love to share with you guys.

She also came up with her own secrets to adulthood.
.:. I'll share my favorite!
---People don't notice your mistakes as much as you think
---It's okay to ask for help
---Do good feel good
---By doing a little each day, you can get a lot accomplished
---Can't find something? Clean up
---You don't have to be good at everything
---If you don't fail, you're not trying hard enough

And a few FUNNY ones :)
---Bring a sweater
---Soap and water remove most stains
---Over the counter medicines are just as effective
---People actually prefer that you buy wedding gifts from their registry

Before I end this LONG blog post, I want to note that doing a happiness project doesn't mean you're unhappy, for me, it simply means that I have a really good life but I want to appreciate it more and live it to it's fullest. And that is what I intend to do.

ALMOST finished. Gretchen questions whether or not focusing all this time on your own happiness is being self-centered. Do I think so? Absolutely not. Studies show that happy people are more optimistic, productive, helpful, likable, healthier, and so on. So in reality, focusing on ourselves is helping everyone else out too. :)

Taking A Break...Liebster Style

I really believe I'm a failure in the technological world, but mostly when it comes to blogging and social media. Nonetheless, my sister, writer of Twentyapolis, has nominated me for the Liebster award. I am unaware of what the award entails, but I think it's a way for new bloggers to connect and gain readers. (But don't quote me on this.)

Rules are:
-Each person has to nominate 11 bloggers (but I only follow two....?)
-Answer 11 questions about themselves
-Create 11 questions for nominated bloggers

My sister came up with a few questions that I will try my best to answer.

Questions
Tell us about your blog!
-The Happiness Project is a journey of my own life from where I started moving forward to make my life happier, more optimistic, and overall positive. I'm eliminating the negatives and adding in what truly makes me happy. Finding out what works and what doesn't work in life is the key to my happiness project.

What is one thing your readers don't know about you?
-I don't believe people will take time and read my blog, but the truth is I'm dying for people to read what I've written and take it to help themselves. My one goal in life is to inspire people and I hope to do so by my blog.

What inspires you?
-Truly genuine people who are selfless. They are hard to find nowadays but when you do come across one, you'll never want to let them go. 

Spill the details. What is your guilty pleasure?
-I'm a softy for Harry Potter, Tazo shaken teas, and of course Diet Mountain Dew.

Next vacation?
-None planned yet...Too broke to afford anything. I plan (hopefullly) to travel to PCB for my first college spring break. 

Which would you pick - truth or dare?
-Truth because sometimes I like to spill my mysteries.

Describe your perfect Saturday.
-Setting no alarm and completing my to-do lists.

What's one goal you would like to accomplish this year?
-I want to be accepted into my social work major. I've been working on my application and that is one step closer to my future.

How would you describe your personal style?
-Oh God. Hobo, with a hint of athleticism, mixed with homeless? I love hoodies, sweats, and of course, converse.

Name one thing you are currently obsessed with.
-Getting my nails done. Summer is a time for being outrageous and fun and I can do that through my nails. (Right now it's a vivid red with gold sparkles! SASS!)

One piece of advice for other bloggers?
-Write like you'd be writing to yourself because if you try and write for other people to read, you won't let out the ideas and words you want. Being yourself is key.

The only blogs I follow are:
twentyapolis.com   ------------> Courtney (my sister)
writingsonthewahl.blogger.com ---------> Sydney (hometown bestie) 

Definition of 'Happy'

As Gretchen writes, she says that people have told her that the happiness project reveals more about the her than she realizes, which in my case I have found to be true. They say that people teach what they need to learn. And for me being the 'happiness teacher' I too, am yearning to find a method to yield my barriers and limitations. I guess as I write to anyone who is reading I have to make something of myself and really put myself out there. But, I don't have all the answers. My happiness project is to work out the kinks in my flaws so I can learn to handle myself more effectively as well as inspire others with the traits I carry that I am proud to have.

I need to answer one question before starting this long journey of happiness.
--Is it humanly possible to make myself happier than I already am?
.:. Of course I can.
--Gretchen points out that the determination of a person's happiness is influenced by genetics, life circumstances, age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, income, health, occupation, and religious affiliation. She says that people have an inborn disposition of certain characteristics, but people can boost their happiness, or sink down to make themselves unhappy.
--However the other percentage is how a person thinks and acts (DING DING!!) This is the part we CAN change (easier, at least)

The next question we have to ask ourselves is what is happiness?
--When people think of the word 'happy' are they thinking of a state of being, a goal, or something else? We are all trying to hard to be genuinely happy but what is it?
--Louis Armstrong said, "If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know."
.:. That quote is how I feel about happiness. It's hard to pinpoint what the true definition of happiness is, especially if it feels one way to someone, but is interpreted differently by another.

So, in my conclusion, each person interprets happiness differently. We each know when we feel happy and can pinpoint what makes us happy. And with truly knowing, that will suffice.

Baby Steps

I want to change my life. I'm not depressed and I don't think I have a bad life. I just know my quality of life can improve with certain changes.

First off is the the preparations (many tips from Gretchen Rubin)
--You must sort through the good things in your life that make you happy, satisfied, in love, or passionate, and sort through the bad things that make you feel guilty, angry, depressed, or sad. Every person feels the emotions, but to find out what exactly triggers them can escalade happiness and eliminate the negatives.

Secondly, you need to pin point goals you'd like to achieve stemming from the good and bad aspects in your life.
--Find resolutions that will boost your happiness and make you feel good about living your life day after day.
--Most importantly, STICK TO THEM! Resolutions can feel like a diet or a workout plan that is hard to maintain and stick to a daily routine but it'll be SO worth it in the end!!
--Don't be afraid of trial and error. This is a journey! Like I said before, it will not happen over night so don't get discouraged if certain things don't work out
--Whether you're 15 or 85 a project like this has no time or age limit! We're all living our life no matter what age so we must make the best of the time we have because we have no idea when it could be taken from us

One of the most important things about being happy (in my personal opinion) is focusing on yourself.
--Most of us have goals in life such as acquiring a job, having a steady income, and maybe starting a family. But what we don't always consider is if these goals make US happy or if we are going through the motions of these goals in order to please others. If the goal of this project is for your own happiness, we need to start focusing on ourselves.

As we start this journey Gretchen writes, "I grasped two things: I wasn't as happy as I could be, and my life wasn't going to change unless I made it change. With that realization, I decided to dedicate a year to trying to be happier."

So, hop on board, the journey starts here.

What is the happiness project?

The only thing I truly want in my life is to be truly happy. I believe everyone can get to that state, but some may not know how. Though, I may be in an early stage of life, at the mere age of 20, I have a few tricks up my sleeve, with some assistance from my friends and family and from what I see in everyday life. Many times in my life I am over the top happy and I love when I climb to that point, but other times I feel so down in the dumps that nothing seems worth crawling out of bed for (not even a diet dew). I wonder what makes a person happy and how can someone be an all around happy person.

During spring break my senior year of high school I discovered a book called, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (which I'd highly recommend reading). That book is what inspired me to venture on my way to my very own happiness project. I found myself highlighting key words and phrases throughout the book I would like to try for myself. Before I knew it, I've highlighted every damn page. She starts her journey over a course of a year starting in January. Keep in mind that ultimate happiness is a journey and won't happen over night. She takes each step of her project a month at a time, ending her project in December. I'll be using some steps and tips from this book as well as a few of my own for which I believe can lead to the ultimate happy.

Many people believe that happiness is a goal, which for many, it is.

But I think we owe it to ourselves to live the best possible life we can with laughter, optimism, and for myself, a lot of diet dew.

But, with happiness, comes sleep, and after countless hours of work and constructing this blog, sleep and relaxation is NEEDED!

1) Put yourself first:
--You have one life to live to it's fullest so you might as well do it thinking of yourself first.