The Happiness Project: What Image Suggests Happiness to You?

The Happiness Project

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT is the memoir of the year I spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier – happily, it was a #1 New York Times bestseller. As one of the hundreds of experiments I've conducted, I started this blog. Here, I recount my daily adventures in pursuit of happiness. –

Gretchen Rubin

What Started Me Thinking

"The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer somebody else up." Mark Twain
“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.” Robert Louis Stevenson
"Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:41-42
“Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating.” Simone Weil
“What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” Colette
“It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light.” G. K. Chesterton
“A man’s first care should be to avoid the reproaches of his own heart.” Joseph Addison
“Best is good. Better is best.” Lisa Grunwald
“Order is Heaven’s first law.” Alexander Pope

Happiness Theories I Reject

Flaubert: "To be stupid, and selfish, and to have good health are the three requirements for happiness; though if stupidity is lacking, the others are useless."
Vauvenargues: “There are men who are happy without knowing it.”
Eric Hoffer: “The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.”
Sartre: "Hell is other people."
Willa Cather: “One cannot divine nor forecast the conditions that will make happiness; one only stumbles upon them…”
Alexander Smith: “We are never happy; we can only remember that we were so once.”
John Stuart Mill: “Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.”

One of the things that's making me very happy right now is the astonishing progress of the happiness-project groups. A while back, I promised to create a starter-kit for people who wanted to launch a group for people doing happiness projects (click here if you'd like one), and more than 2,500 people have asked for one.

Now there are groups all over the country (Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Boston, Philadelphia, Memphis, DC, etc.) and all over the world (Singapore, Midlands, Johannesburg).

If you're doing a happiness project (by yourself or with a group), it's fun and also thought-provoking to choose a personal symbol for your happiness project. For instance, I chose a blue bird, because blue birds are symbols of happiness. On the Happiness Project Toolbox, the Inspiration Board Tool is a place where you can collect images that inspire you. People have posted some amazing images.

I'm always interested to see what image a happiness-project group leader chooses to illustrate the Facebook Page for the group. I like all these choices:

Wendi in Gainesville picked:

Waterville, Maine picked:

Nicole in Enid, Oklahoma picked:

Sadia in Chapel Hill (but also for 20-somethings everywhere) picked:

Liz in Johannesburg picked:

Connie in New York (my hometown, yipeee):

Sara in Chicago:

Linnea in Columbus picked:

What would you pick to be the image or personal symbol for your happiness project? or for your group?

Whether or not you want to join a group for people doing happiness projects together, one of my big discoveries from my own happiness project is the tremendous happiness I've gained every time I've joined or started a group. At last count, I've joined or started nine groups since I began my project! And all of them are highlights of my life, for various reasons. So do consider making "Join or start a group" one of your resolutions.

A note to groups: I know that some group leaders haven't added their group to the list. I know it's a bit of a pain, but please do add yourself. It only takes a moment, and I'd really appreciate knowing about your group. Here's the complete list.

* Speaking of happiness-project group in Singapore, if any of you Singaporeans would like to join -- or you have a friend in Singapore who might be interested -- more information is here.

* Check out this amazing interactive graph from the New York Times about how different groups of Americans use their time. Addictive. If you're a fan of Edward Tufte, you shouldn't miss this -- whether to admire or criticize.

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