DIY Happiness Project: The Happiness Journal

Everyone wants to be happy, but most people have no idea what happiness really is, or how to accomplish it. There are entire sections in bookstores and blogs online filled with suggestions. One of those authors gave me an idea that I’ll share with you.

Gretchen Rubin has a website devoted to the pursuit of happiness, and has written several books on the subject, her best known being “The Happiness Project.”   One of her ideas on how to create happiness is for people to keep a journal in which they write one sentence a day. Her book, “The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal,” helps you keep a record of your life when you don’t have a lot of time.

The Happiness Journal

It occurred to me that the project that I thought would be helpful was a One-Sentence Happiness Journal. I began to suggest it to the people I work with: Write one sentence a day about an positive experience. The results they reported back to me were fascinating.

The first and most frequent reaction was that the exercise was very hard. For some, it was hard to identify a happy event in the course of their day. Others had a hard time with defining what a happy event was to them. At times, they even found it hard to remember to write down the event once they found it.

What everyone had in common was they began to think about happiness in a different way. When we began the exercise, most generally believed that happiness came to them unbidden, and out of their control. They learned otherwise.

The happiness journal became a tool to identify what made each person happy. I saw that people were surprised to realize what actually brought happiness. Usually, reality was not in line with their expectations.

The Power to Create Happiness

Once they were able to identify happy moments, they realized they had the power to create happiness for themselves. Happiness is not something that “happens” to most people. It is an experience that has to be learned, nurtured, even practiced.

Feeling down is part of life.   When you do not know what makes you happy, you cannot know what to do to feel better. It is important to develop the skills that will make yourself feel better.

Suggestions for starting a happiness journal:

  • Buy a small notebook or notepad. To be successful, you need to have your journal with you as much as possible, so that you can write down your experience when it happens.
  • Begin by identifying what you believe happiness is. Write down what you feel you need in your life to be happy or happier.
  • Pay attention to yourself and how you feel as you go through your day.
  • Identify and write down the event you identify as happy.
  • At the end of the week, review your journals and identify what type of experiences made you happy.
  • Remember: there are no “correct” answers, only what you think is true for you.

Once you begin to notice what makes you happy, you can begin to look for those events in your life. You can even begin to find ways to create those events for yourself.

Need help creating happiness for yourself? I can help. Call me at: (919)881-2001.

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