Have you ever had a great
idea? The kind where you are just
sitting on the couch one night and you think, “wow, I am so smart, why has no
one ever thought of this before me?”.
You sit there for a while, enjoying the thought that you have discovered
something that no one else could possibly have discovered. You go to sleep, you dream of sharing your
idea with others, becoming a millionaire from your discovery…and the next
morning when you turn on the Today Show, they sit down to interview the founder
of the exact same idea.
When I decided to do this blog, the main agenda was clear to
me: help people to look for the good in
life. I’ve always been a writer, and
also a positive thinker, and as I saw some of the people that I’m closest to in
this life going through some really hard times, I decided that my words could
possibly be a comfort to them, and perhaps to others as well. And so, the brainstorming began. I got on my laptop, started making notes about
the different posts I would write, the different ways I could help my readers
live a happier life.
The next day, I decided to start looking at some other blogs
to get inspiration, to decide on a name for my blog, and to see how other
bloggers were making their sites interesting.
The first thing that pops up on my screen is an advertisement for the
book “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. Basically, she had
stolen my idea. She had climbed into my
head, taken all of my brainstorming notes, and written herself a little
book. And it just so happened to be on
the New York Times Bestseller List. Darn
her!
I have to admit I was disappointed. And in the days following, I also found other
similar blogs—with an intent to brighten people’s days, to help them focus on
the happiness that can be found in a not-so-perfect world. Each new “happiness
blog” brought my level of happiness even lower, and I almost decided against
starting this blog. But, alas, here we
are! I finally came around, and realized
how ironic the situation was…I was planning to write a blog about trying to be
happy, while at the same time I was getting upset about it before it even
began!
And so, this is my Happiness
Project. I have started to read
Gretchen’s, and it is a great read,
but who says mine can’t be a great read, too?
There’s room on the internet for all of us, and my agenda remains the
same: to help you, all of you that have so graciously decided to read my blog, to
have a better day, a better week, a better outlook on life.
Mondays will be
devoted to looking for the good in this life.
And I did pick Mondays for a
reason! No matter what your worries,
your struggles, your unhappiness…please don’t start your week off on a negative
note. Join us here each Monday morning for
a dose of “happiness in a blog”. And most
importantly, after you finish reading my words, it’s your turn. Take those happy
thoughts into the workplace, or into your home with your children, and spend
the rest of the week reflecting on them.
Believe me, no matter how bad your Mondays are, it’s not worth it to
worry so much. Just take a deep breath,
smile, and say “Bring it on, life.
Bring. It. On.”
*To follow Gretchen's "Happiness Project", or to find information on her book, go to www.happiness-project.com
