About Me and My Happiness Project

Kirby:

The first time I saw the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin in the bookstore I read a line on the cover about trying to sing in the mornings, and like the skeptic I am, rolled my eyes and put it back.  Several months later I saw it on a bestsellers list and decided to give it a second look. 

I felt I was living a life with a lot of negativity.  I’d had a crappy few years that broke down what I once thought was a strong sense of self.  I finally feel like I’m back at a point where I’m willing to put in the effort to make myself happier.  For a long time I avoided doing things that I thought I should be doing simply because it felt fake.  Trying to be friendly and upbeat or going out of my way to attend a social event when all I felt like doing was crawling into bed and watching a movie felt fake.  I wanted to feel authentic, to do things because I had a genuine desire to do them as opposed to “you know you should”.  I thought that good times and bad times come and go and if I waited it out eventually I’d start to feel good again.  Turns out happiness isn’t like the weather, if you want a change in your life or yourself you better start making changes.  I knew I could do better and the Happiness Project gave me a system for making these changes that was attainable.  As I read through the book I thought, I could do this, I SHOULD do this.  And so I am, or we are.

Melissa and I are embarking on our own Happiness Projects, dedicating a year to living happier lives.  Each month we will add in another category of resolutions to the mix, keeping track of our progress on charts and in this blog.