Gretchen Rubin's Blog, page 266

Happiness Is…a Great Book Event in Philadelphia.

Last night, I was in Philadelphia to talk about The Happiness Project, thanks to the kind efforts of the Joseph Fox Bookshop and the Hyatt at the Bellevue. The talk was in a beautiful space next to a glamorous bar complete with fireplace, views, and a Happiness Cocktail devised for the evening!

I was particularly pleased to go to Philadelphia, because the University of Pennsylvania has a program for people to get a Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree – so it's a real center for...

Ten Common Myths About Happiness.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day (or List Day, or Quiz Day).

Lately, I've found myself frequently discussing several of ten common myths about happiness, so I decided to post the complete list here.

No. 1: Happy people are annoying and stupid. This is an automatic assumption that many people make.

No. 2: Nothing changes a person's happiness level much.

No. 3: Venting anger relieves it.

No. 4: You'll be happier if you insist on "the best."

No. 5: A...

A Happiness Lesson from Julia Child?

This weekend, I read a wonderful book, Julia Child's My Life in France. It describes her first move to France, when her husband was transferred there, how she fell in love with France and French food, and how she became utterly absorbed in learning about French cooking and in cookbook writing.

I must confess that I have very little interest in the ruling passion of Julia Child's life. Food has never been very interesting to me. I love certain foods, of course, but I like very plain food...

Do You Hate to Hear "No," "Don't," or "Stop"? Plus the Weekly Video.

Once in a while, I learn a new word or phrase that allows me to see the world in a clearer way. In law school, I remember that after I learned the concept of "acting in reliance," suddenly, I saw people acting in reliance all over the place. (For example, when my friend John signed a lease for a two-bedroom apartment because Michael promised to room with him, he'd "acted in reliance," so when Michael wanted to move in with his girlfriend instead, John was entitled to hold him to his...

"We Needs Must Love the Highest When We See It."

"We needs must love the highest when we see it."

* I was intrigued by this blog, Birth of a Playwright, by a writer chronicling her attempt to write her first full-length play in 266 days (typical length of human gestation). A happiness project! She touches on many familiar happiness challenges, like "If I love my work, why do I sometimes find it hard to work instead of watch TV?" "How do you 'follow your gut,' as so often advised, if your gut gives conflicting...

Finish The Projects You've Started. Or Call an End to Them.

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday's post will help you think about your own happiness project.

I realized that a source of clutter in my apartment, and a significant drain on my energy, was the uncomfortable presence of unfinished projects.

Every time I see evidence of an unfinished project, I get a jolt of...

Nine Paradoxes to Contemplate as You Consider Your Happiness Project.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.

As I've worked on my happiness project, I've been struck by the paradoxes I keep confronting. One of my Secrets of Adulthood is "The opposite of a great truth is also true" – and I've certainly found that to be true in the area of happiness.
I try to embrace these contradictions:

1. Accept myself, but expect more of myself. This tension is at the core of any...

Happiness and the Visits of a Gazelle.

Several months ago, my book group read a wonderful book, Terrence O'Donnell's Garden of the Brave in War. Because the book's introduction compared it to Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa, I was prompted to re-read Out of Africa, which I hadn't read in many years (a Secret of Adulthood: the best reading is re-reading). What a staggeringly good book -- and all about happiness, in an oblique way.

Since I re-read it, I've been haunted by Dinesen's beautiful, otherworldly description of a period when...

The Extraordinary Happiness of Completing a Project: "Four to Llewelyn's Edge." Also, the Weekly Video.

For almost two years, one of my best friends and I have worked on an enormous project together.

How did it begin? A few years ago, after my children's literature reading group read Peter Pan, I became very interested in J. M. Barrie, and I read Andrew Birkin's terrific biography, J. M. Barrie and the Lost Boys. Birkin gives a tantalizingly brief description of a book Barrie made using photographs of the four Llewelyn boys he adored. Barrie made one copy of The Boy Castaway of Black Lake...

"Give Me My Scallop-Shell of Quiet..."

Give me my scallop-shell of quiet,

My staff of faith to walk upon,

My scrip of joy, immortal diet,

My bottle of salvation,

My gown of glory, hope's true gage;

And thus I'll take my pilgrimage.

-- Sir Walter Raleigh

* Have you started a happiness project yourself? -- either by testing one resolution or a bunch of resolutions? Share your experience here. By writing about what worked for you, you can inspire other people to give it a try.