Are You Happy?

So lately, I've been hooked on Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. I bought it on a whim last week, and though I've heard a lot of rave reviews about it, I wasn't expecting to love it, much less find the energy to get up and blog about it.

Read it. I will hunt you down and climb up your window if you don't.

I'm a sucker for books with bright, heartwarming covers. I'm also a sucker for writers who have an uncanny ability of making you laugh while simultaneously questioning your purpose in life (hello, John Green). The Happiness Project chronicles the adventures of Gretchen Rubin as she attempts to become happy - or at least as happy as she should be. It all starts on a bus ride in New York City. Rubin comes to an epiphany that though she is considerably blessed - loving husband, adorable kids and a wonderful job which she loves doing - she still doesn't feel fulfilled. She's almost there, but not-quite-yet-so. There's something missing, and she was set on spending a year trying to discover that final ingredient to achieving self-actualization.

If you're one of those people who loathe pretentious self-help books that relegate you to a mere guinea pig on which they can test-drive their ridiculous methods on, then you must read this. Rubin doesn't give you a list of things to follow, but she suggests ways that have worked for her... Ways that might work for you. 

If you're still not convinced, then I guess I'll resort to my usual tactic. Bulleted lists, how I've missed you. 

WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS AWESOME, THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND POIGNANTLY-WRITTEN BOOK:

• Gretchen Rubin is not rising from a tragedy in her life. While we sympathize with people who have undergone disease, abuse or depression, we - to a certain extent -  can't relate. And we should we always be grateful for that. There are a ton of books out there that give advice for specific situations, but The Happiness Project isn't one of them. Rubin's experiences encapsulates the regret of wasting one's life waiting for a miracle that won't appear. That we probably understand. 
• She also mentions that definite changes work better than vague resolutions. For example, when we make a plan to live a healthier lifestyle, we'd rather hear tips that worked for the people we know than  rely on suggestions that anyone with Internet access could prescribe. "Do stretches when you wake up." sounds better and much more doable than "Exercise regularly." 
• She doesn't try to glorify her reasons for starting a happiness project. Throughout the book, Rubin constantly voices her doubts on wanting to revamp her lifestyle. Is she being too selfish for wanting to be happy despite having everything she needs to be happy? Somewhere along the line, she realizes that being 100% satisfied with the way she sees herself will reflect onto the person others will see in her. Happiness begets happiness. Simple, but when placed in the right context, it's everything. 

Your happiness project will not be the same as mine. Your friend's happiness project will not be the same as yours. It's different for everybody because there is no tangible formula for happiness. No amount of research and statistics can give the step-by-step lowdown on attaining it. You'll just have to work it out on your own. :)

“The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It’s more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.”

- Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project