My Happiness Project?

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