The Happiness Project

Rubin, not an unhappy person generally speaking, decided that she would nevertheless like to be happier. So she did A LOT of research on theories of happiness, from the ancient Greeks to the founding fathers to Dr. Drew. Armed with all this, she created The Happiness Project, which involved coming up with specifically defined resolutions for each month, with the trick that each month added resolutions without taking any away, so the project became broader in scope each month. The monthly resolutions have an overall theme i.e.: January--Boost Energy, April--Lighten Up, September--Pursue a Passion, etc. Then there are 4 or 5 resolutions to go with each theme. Everyone's H.P. will of course be different, but Rubin details her resolutions and experiences to show us how it works in a general sense. She's honest about herself, honest about what was easy, what was hard and what turned out to be just impossible for her.

This book is very inspiring and ambitious and definitely worth a read. I may not start a full blown project of my own, but I certainly learned a few things that I want to try. After all, who doesn't want to be happier?

She also started a now wildly popular blog as part of this project, which offers more tips and stories from folks all over the place that are trying this idea out for themselves.

--Jackie

Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "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 happiness project.
In this lively and compelling account of that year, Rubin carves out her place alongside the authors of bestselling memoirs such as Julie and Julia, The Year of Living Biblically, and Eat, Pray, Love. With humor and insight, she chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier.Rubin didn't have the option to uproot herself, nor did she really want to; instead she focused on improving her life as it was. Each month she tackled a new set of resolutions: give proofs of love, ask for help, find more fun, keep a gratitude notebook, forget about results. She immersed herself in principles set forth by all manner of experts, from Epicurus to Thoreau to Oprah to Martin Seligman to the Dalai Lama to see what worked for her and what didn't. Her conclusions are sometimes surprising?she finds that money can buy happiness, when spent wisely; that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that "treating" yourself can make you feel worse; that venting bad feelings doesn't relieve them; that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference?and they range from the practical to the profound. Written with charm and wit, The Happiness Project is illuminating yet entertaining,
thought-provoking yet compulsively readable. Gretchen Rubin's passion for her subject jumps off the page, and reading just a few chapters of this book will inspire you to start your own happiness project.
--Cathy Langer, Lead Buyer for Tattered Cover

Check out the author's website:http://www.gretchenrubin.com
or the project's website: http://www.happiness-project.com/

And some pics from her signing at Tattered Cover Highlands Ranch: