Day 177
As I was talking to one of my colleagues about happiness, my favourite topic these days, he asked me if, after 177 days of writing about it, I was a happier person. It is definitely a question worth asking.
In the past six months, I have learned a lot about happiness. And when someone gets me going on the topic, I can go on for hours, making references to the various studies and theories I have read, maybe boring those listening to me.... Thank god I haven't lost any of my friends yet...
But beside the knowledge I have acquired, am I happier today than I was six months ago? Well, the answer is simply and without any doubt YES. And it is probably mostly due to the blog itself.
Amongst other things, happiness is about:
- finding meaning to your life
- having goals
- immersing yourself in things you like doing - having 'flow'
- learning
- helping others
- developing wisdom
- being in action
- knowing yourself
- being creative
Writing posts everyday has allowed me to simultaneously work on all of these aspects of my life. As hard and challenging as it is to find a topic every single day and even though I sometimes feel like I'm painfully extracting thoughts and ideas from my brain, this project has brought my life so much more than what I had anticipated.
So, I'm happier today than I was six months ago, but at the same time, I realize more than ever that happiness is not a destination but a kind of obstacle course that requires work, skill and perseverance.
My friend Christina calls it my lover, my husband, I suspect, is sometimes a little jealous of it, but in the end, because I am happier, I have become, I believe, a better partner and a better friend.
If you like this post, pass it along. To receive posts as they're being published, you can either send me an e-mail at alina500daystohappiness@hotmail.com or join the facebook group: 500daystohappiness
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