Zoikes, I can’t believe it. Three readers of the Happiness Project have started their own Happiness Project blog, Our Happiness Project, inspired by this one! This is unbelievably thrilling to me.
Last month, I finally realized that my true purpose with the Happiness Project isn’t just to work on my own happiness, but to persuade EVERYONE to start a happiness project. I want to be a happiness evangelist. This was always implicit in what I was doing, of course, but I hadn’t quite grasped it to make it an explicit goal.
Yes, genetics play an important role, and yes, I know about set-point theory, but I do believe that you can take steps that will boost your happiness – within the setting of your ordinary day.
Every person’s project will be different; that’s part of what makes happiness a fascinating subject.
And here’s the blog of people who are working on their own happiness project! I’ve added it to my RSS feed – I’m so eager to see what they post.
Starting that blog is a great strategy to boost happiness, for several reasons:
By frequently writing and thinking about happiness goals, you keep those goals active and salient in your thoughts.
Studies show that activities are more enjoyable when done with other people, and collaborating on a blog is a fun way to interact with others.
You’re more likely to meet goals when you have concrete goals and a way to hold yourself accountable – like posting on a blog.
Research shows that tackling new challenges – e.g., keeping a blog – boosts happiness. At least one of these bloggers has never had a blog before. For me, blogging was such a mystery that I felt an enormous rush from every little new thing I managed to do. I still remember the first time I figured out how to post an image.
As the Second Splendid Truth holds, one of the best ways to make YOURSELF happy is to feel that you’re helping OTHER PEOPLE to be happy, and keeping a blog of your own happiness project will help other people learn from your experiences – and become happier themselves.
Reading Our Happiness Project certainly made me very happy.
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