So January was the beginning of a project I have undertaken this year based on a book by Gretchen Rubin called, The Happiness Project. January goals included: Be Sarah – I am already enough. Smile when you wake up. Keep on top of health, work, living arrangements, chores, beauty, activities, exercise, and be grateful. For February you have to ADD to the mix rather than just switch to new goals, so here is what I decided.
“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.” – J Robert Oppenheimer
February: Make mistakes. Do your best. Be Generous. (Plus all the stuff from January.)
Mistakes happen all the time in our lives, but it was really different having that set as goal for a month. It is not that I set out to make mistakes, but when I DID make mistakes it seemed somehow less stressful or frustrating because I had already given myself permission for the month. I fell off my bike and got all scraped up and bruised, but kept going. I got a haircut at a place that specializes in men’s cuts, but it worked out alright. My laptop broke, but I had it fixed. I had some sad moments, but remembered to smile in the morning when I woke up anyway. I like how John Wooden explains it, “If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.” Anyone who knows me knows I am a doer, so making mistakes is just going to be part of my game.
Do your best. I feel I am doing my best to be patient, to be persistent in my search for employment, to tackle the tasks that arise one at a time, to be a good steward of my resources. Doing your best and doing the best you can are sometimes too close to tell apart. I am working especially hard in February to not just do the best I can in my current circumstances, but to do my best in all things.
Be generous. This is tough during a time where our economy is so grim, but generosity isn’t just about financial giving. Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” I believe that finding ways to be generous is also finding ways to make your life richer. I also believe that listing out a person’s generous acts would completely reverse the effects of them, so instead I’ll just offer some ideas. Offer your help wherever you can. Know someone sick? Offer to help. Know someone struggling with a huge project? Offer to help. Someone needs a ride? Needs help with child care? OFFERING is the key element here. It is in the offering and then giving of your help that generosity arises.
This year being leap year added a whole extra day for adventure into February. I hope you had a great time on your trip and am looking forward to more adventures next month. If you’d like to join me in my happiness project for March here is a sneak peak at my plan. March: Be present. Be patient. Don’t settle for “I am here…” go for “Here I am!” I hope you are finding ways to be happy in your journey. Go for it!
