I've been reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, a book about a woman living in NYC who embarks on a year journey to make herself happier. At the end, it provides guidelines to the reader for him/her to create his/her own happiness project. I am thinking about starting one, because, well...why not?
What makes you feel good? What activities do you find fun, satisfying, or energizing?
-Dancing, reading, writing, listening to John Mayer, Florence + the Machine, the Beatles, drinking coffee alone, drinking wine/beer with others, traveling, exercising, creating things/being crafty, being in the sun, looking at maps, taking pictures, challenging myself intellectually/physically, making other people laugh, laughing myself, helping people, teaching people, painting murals
-This list is very similar to previous lists I've created, with just a few things changed. Interesting.
What makes you feel bad? What are sources of anger, irritation, boredom, frustration, or anxiety in your life?
-Not getting enough sleep. UGH, when people don't listen to me, being around people for more than 10 hours a day, being disorganized, the fact that my carbon footprint is larger than I'd like it to be, the fact that I haven't been out of the country in almost 2 years, that some don't believe in the power of young people, prejudices and -isms, when people ask for advice, don't take it, and continue to make the same mistakes, when people refuse to self-reflect, when I don't have enough money for rent, pre-conceived notions about me because of the way I look
Is there any way in which you don't feel right about your life? Do you wish you could change your job, city, family situation, or other circumstances? Are you living up to your expectations for yourself? Does your life reflect your values?
-I sometimes wish I could change my city, but I don't know if I want to start over building relationships in a new city because I love so many people that I've met in Milwaukee. I also love the job I have in Milwaukee. I wish I could travel more, speak more languages, help more kids. I wish I didn't live in such a segregated city. I hate change in some instances, but know it's necessary, and love it in others.
-I sometimes think life would be easy if I could go through it not being tied down at all to a place or to people. But then I think of how much I would miss out on if I didn't stop and take the time to really invest in other people. I think of how lonely I'd be if I lived alone. I think of how much I wouldn't know. I truly wish I could bundle all the wonderful people I've ever met together and take them with me as I travel the world, tutoring English, and painting murals.
Do you have sources of an atmosphere of growth? In what elements of your life do you find progress, learning, challenge, improvement, and increased mastery?
-My service with City Year constantly challenges me and forces growth and reflection. I also found all these elements in figure skating, but my passion for that slowly burned out. At the present time, City Year makes me progress, learn, and master skills, while it also challenges me and improves me. That is the selfish side of the work I do. I also, through City Year, have the opportunity to make others progress, learn, and master skills, while challenging and improving them.
-If it ain't broke, don't fix it...?
